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 YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has affirmed that Azerbaijan was the one who initiated the ongoing fighting in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone. The Karabakh conflict is very serious now, and that is why our political unity is also very strong. The OSCE MG Co-Chairs have issued a joint statement calling upon the parties for a ceasefire because there are numerous civilian casualties, the French FM said at the French parliaments foreign affairs committee. He firmly stressed that it was Azerbaijan who launched the attack. The French FM said the sides must be interested in establishing ceasefire without preconditions. You cant say we want ceasefire, but., this wont happen. Hostilities halt, negotiations begin, in order for them to achieve agreement around a specific situation that will enable the sides to live normally, he said, reminding about Azerbaijans precondition voiced days earlier. Jean-Yves Le Drian had earlier announced that Turkey has interfered from the Azeri side in the Nagorno Karabakh military operations, and threatens to internationalize the conflict. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan 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. Suddenly, a dog walks past the screen and a baby cries, awoken from a too-short nap by nearby construction. Hastily made beds, half-done puzzles, and bread-making supplies clutter the background. And then theres the guy who forgot to push mute, the one without pants, and another who holds the camera too close. Although this might sound like every Zoom meeting or FaceTime call youve participated in since March, its actually a list of problematic scenarios faced by actors including Bette Midler, Leslie Odom Jr., and Dan Levy when they rolled out the welcome mats and allowed their homes to serve as makeshift sets for scripted TV and movie productions such as Coastal Elites (HBO), Host (Shudder), Mythic Quest (Apple TV+), and Love in the Time of Corona (Freeform) when pandemic rules and safety recommendations closed soundstages and required casts and crews to remain socially distant and well sanitized. It's truly amazing that we got anything other than a blooper reel. We had WiFi outages, phones freezing, phones ringing, dogs barking, kids running wild, [props] breaking, people putting themselves on mute and, worse, not knowing theyre not on mute. Rob [McElhenney] dropped his laptop and broke the screen. F. Murray Abraham accidentally called the emergency number twice while trying to set up his iPhone, says Mythic Quest writer and executive producer Megan Ganz of the chaotic making of a bonus episode that saw the workplace comedys fictional employees (and the people who play them) #WFH and cope with the COVID-19 crisis. There were a million complications, like actors doing their own makeup. For Emmy-winning director Jay Roach, who is used to massive crews and elaborate sets for films like Bombshell, it was a matter of balancing safety with the value of telling this story while its relevant and accepting that there would be a lot of limitations in order to make the production footprint so small that thered be very little risk after his derailed gig capturing a live Public Theater staging of Coastal Elites, a series of monologues about life in Trumps fractured America, was reimagined as an HBO special to be shot remotely. Story continues I was worried going in, he admits. In an ideal filmmaking world, you have control over every single detail, from lighting to the size of a door an actor enters through. Courtesy of HBO We were limited to the spaces and styles of these very successful working actors, which in all cases except Issa [Raes], the statuses of the actors and characters didnt line up, Roach continues. We had to look around within our quarantine worlds to find things that would serve the character, and make do. The first step in that process always involved actors scouting their own spaces via video tours. Ganz explains, They were gracious with allowing us to snoop around their houses and would carry laptops around [so] our DP could consider things like room depth and what time of day the light would be best based on which way their windows faced. Courtesy of HBO Roach lucked out, as much of his cast had satellite buildings on their properties that were less personalized and, more important, less lived in. That way we were able to manipulate the background in small ways: thin out furniture or drop in props. This was especially important for Bettes scene because it was not set in a home but at a precinct. Luckily, her property in upstate New York has an art studio at the back. Production designer Mark Ricker could paint walls, put in a water cooler and interrogation table, and hang a light [for] a cop-lit setting. Courtesy of Shudder Sometimes it worked in the opposite direction, with what they saw on screen inspiring specific moments or plot points. My entire process was dictated by random things actors had in their houses, from a squeaky attic to a creepy hallway, says Rob Savage, director and writer of the scary movie Host. Most made it into the film, but I regret not figuring out a use for[actor Edward Linard's] massive billiards table. I planned a scene where [his character,] Teddy, got pelted with flying balls. It looked rather silly so we cut it. Shooting at home was a mixed bag for the actors. My commute was rolling out of bed onto the floor, and my mum left coffee and food outside my bedroom door, says Hosts Emma Louise Webb, whose mothers mannequin features prominently in a scare. [But] we had to do 10 peoples jobs every day. My bed had to be made the same every day for weeks for continuity. There was a lot of tidying up between takes. Im still finding BBs from glass smashes. I have candle wax stains on my floor. Your room becomes your work. See the video. And when that work is about an online seance gone wrong, its hard to disconnect once cameras stop rolling. I had trouble sleeping for weeks. I would stare at my doorway, says Webb. I still bring water up before bed [so] I dont have to go downstairs on my own at night. Roach, like Webb, is eager to return to show business as usual but was pleasantly surprised by the results. It was quite enjoyable and focused as a process, the director says. Just me, Paul [Rudnick, screenwriter], and the actors, on computers. It would have worked for this material even if we werent in a pandemic. A real intimacy happened, like you were eavesdropping on somebodys therapy session or AA meeting. Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest Riga, Latvia -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/08/2020 -- The last few weeks have been quite challenging yet very rewarding and satisfying. Yakuza stood for what was right and in favor of their community. They restored the trust and delivered freedom into the hands of their community by becoming one of the most decentralized projects. In the endeavor to strengthen their community, Yakuza has reestablished the regulations and enabled swapping to Uniswap V2 for everyone. The decision was made through voting, and it was determined that the existing holders of YFKZ coins were entitled to swift justice. Hence, Yakuza swapped their old coins on a 1:1 basis to the newly improved and more flexible YKZ Token. It is one of their bigger achievements in the recent past that has instilled trust and confidence within their community. Establishing a Powerful Community Yakuza DFO is now active on the DFOhub page. DFO stands for Decentralized Flexible Organization. By issuing all of the supply and LP tokens to the DFO, Yakuza has given the control in the hands of the holders. Being a DFO gives them the autonomy of doing what is right for their business and community. The token has no monetary value other than what the holders make of it. Yakuza can use the DFO for any purpose they deem fit. DFOs are like standalone entities that reside on the blockchain and are open source in nature. This gives them the liberty of working together as a community and leverage on the crowdsourcing model. All in all, they have control, and they decide the course of their journey. Anyone can join Yakuza and bring new capabilities to the project. Road Ahead Yakuza strive to establish and secure partnerships and venture into profitable outcomes as an organization. They are determined to grow both organically and inorganically. Yakuza, as a community, is continuously exploring the Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) space, and eventually, they plan to move into the Decentralized Finance (DeFi) domain. Yakuza is in very early stages of discussion and research, and they are open to inviting the community to participate and make it a big success. Yakuza is also determined to create a more inclusive community by implementing the snapshot voting system. This will empower the community to participate in various decisions and help them to be heard. With a diversified community and its capabilities, Yakuza will be able to determine their strengths and next goal. They have an enormous opportunity in front of them, and with their relentless effort and unwavering focus, they are on the brink of making it big. Yakuza's initial goal will be to gain value on the treasury by creating a liquidity mining program and different monetary policies in order to acquire highly appreciating assets. For now, they have decided to start Staking and Farming. With staking as an option, the holders can participate in the verification of transactions and support the network. With staking, holders can generate passive income by holding the coins. It's like dividend/reward earned by stockholders the more you hold the coins, the stronger the network becomes. Whereas with Yield Farming, holders can lend their coins and earn interest while still holding the ownership. This will be possible through smart contracts To know more about the upcoming projects, visit their website at https://www.ykz.network/. Yakuza Launches Nori.Finance In their endeavor of creating successful DFO, they are delighted to partner with some of the most trusted names in the industry. One of such is the partnership with pylon.finance, who have shown confidence in their project and decided to support them in accomplishing their upcoming milestones. It will be achieved through Yakuza's liquidity incentive program called nori.finance that will be powered by the pylon. Nori.finance will help Yakuza access the deep liquidity pool to raise funds for the next leg of their journey. Also, Yakuza holders will be able to farm with $YKZ coin on nori.finance. Farming on nori.finance will be in the partnership with pylon.finance. This partnership will empower Yakuza to move faster and grow more aggressively. With that said, there are better chances to accomplish their scheduled milestones in advance this reflects on their strong project management capabilities. Summary As mentioned earlier, their DFO is active on dfohub who are helping us to achieve their business goals and objectives. Yakuza uses dfohub's tools that are being continuously enhanced, and they are eagerly waiting on the next release of the dfohub. The road ahead looks very promising and fruitful, and Yakuza is leaving no stones unturned to transform their thoughts into reality. About Cryptoshib Criptoshib tries to keep crypto enthusiasts updated with the latest happenings and stories from the crypto world. We try to post stories about projects and people of the crypto and blockchain communities from around the world. Media Contact https://cryptoshib.com/introducing-nori-finance-yakuza-right/ 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. David Traynor has been the CEO of Byotrol plc (LON:BYOT) since 2013, and this article will examine the executive's compensation with respect to the overall performance of the company. This analysis will also look to assess whether the CEO is appropriately paid, considering recent earnings growth and investor returns for Byotrol. Check out our latest analysis for Byotrol Comparing Byotrol plc's CEO Compensation With the industry According to our data, Byotrol plc has a market capitalization of UK35m, and paid its CEO total annual compensation worth UK135k over the year to March 2020. That is, the compensation was roughly the same as last year. We note that the salary portion, which stands at UK132.0k constitutes the majority of total compensation received by the CEO. On comparing similar-sized companies in the industry with market capitalizations below UK155m, we found that the median total CEO compensation was UK217k. In other words, Byotrol pays its CEO lower than the industry median. Furthermore, David Traynor directly owns UK773k worth of shares in the company, implying that they are deeply invested in the company's success. Component 2020 2019 Proportion (2020) Salary UK132k UK132k 98% Other UK3.0k UK2.0k 2% Total Compensation UK135k UK134k 100% On an industry level, around 75% of total compensation represents salary and 25% is other remuneration. Byotrol pays a high salary, concentrating more on this aspect of compensation in comparison to non-salary pay. If total compensation veers towards salary, it suggests that the variable portion - which is generally tied to performance, is lower. A Look at Byotrol plc's Growth Numbers Byotrol plc has seen its earnings per share (EPS) increase by 60% a year over the past three years. Its revenue is up 7.1% over the last year. This demonstrates that the company has been improving recently and is good news for the shareholders. It's nice to see revenue heading northwards, as this is consistent with healthy business conditions. Looking ahead, you might want to check this free visual report on analyst forecasts for the company's future earnings.. Story continues Has Byotrol plc Been A Good Investment? We think that the total shareholder return of 99%, over three years, would leave most Byotrol plc shareholders smiling. As a result, some may believe the CEO should be paid more than is normal for companies of similar size. To Conclude... David receives almost all of their compensation through a salary. As we noted earlier, Byotrol pays its CEO lower than the norm for similar-sized companies belonging to the same industry. Considering robust EPS growth, we believe David to be modestly paid. Given the strong history of shareholder returns, the shareholders are probably very happy with David's performance. It is always advisable to analyse CEO pay, along with performing a thorough analysis of the company's key performance areas. We identified 4 warning signs for Byotrol (1 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing here. Important note: Byotrol is an exciting stock, but we understand investors may be looking for an unencumbered balance sheet and blockbuster returns. You might find something better in this list of interesting companies with high ROE 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. By Bahk Eun-ji The government plans to provide financial support to parents with pre-school and elementary-age children regardless of their "nationality" amid a controversy over the exclusion of foreign nationals from the "special childcare support fund," according to the minister of education. The fund has been created to reduce the public burden during the COVID-19 pandemic. Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae /Yonhap In response to a question from Rep. Kang Min-jung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) during an audit by the National Assembly Education Committee on what the government will do to support students of parents with foreign nationality, Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Yoo Eun-hye said the ministry has been reviewing the matter at the request of municipal and provincial education offices. "But the National Election Commission said it could not be done by the education office itself because it could violate the Election Law, and that it would be possible if the central government gives guidelines for children with foreign nationality," Yoo said. "We are making practical preparations so that they can give the funding at the same time to parents of middle school students." Under the government's fourth supplementary budget aimed at assisting the unemployed and parents, the amount of special childcare subsidies to be offered is 200,000 won ($173) per preschool and elementary school student, and 150,000 won per middle school student. Subsidies for middle school students will be paid in October. However, some pointed out that students with foreign nationality were excluded from the list of beneficiaries. On Sept. 29, Cho Hee-yeon, superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, wrote on Facebook calling for the education ministry's cooperation. "The government should also provide the 200,000 won subsidy to Seoul students with foreign nationality," he said. "In Seoul alone, about 5,000 students with foreign nationality attend school, and their parents are obligated to pay taxes. It is discrimination against them and doesn't make sense." Cho then said it is unjust to impose obligations and deny rights, as families of students of foreign nationality are also responsible for paying taxes, such as income tax. He also criticized the government, citing the Seoul Student Human Rights Ordinance which states that students have the right not to be discriminated against due to their country of origin and ethnicity. A medical staff holds a tube containing samples for novel coronavirus tests in Quang Ngai Province, central Vietnam, August 1, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Van Phong. A Russia returnee is Vietnam's latest coronavirus patient, taking the country's active case count to 39, the Health Ministry confirmed Thursday evening. "Patient 1100" is a 29-year-old resident of Hung Dao Ward, Dong Trieu Town in the northern province of Quang Ninh. He landed September 26 in Can Tho on Bamboo Airways flight QH9495 and was quarantined on arrival. He had come into contact with people who later became patients 1091 to 1094. Last Sunday, he developed symptoms of fever, cough, sore throat and a decreased sense of smell. The second test of his samples showed Wednesday that he was positive for the novel coronavirus. He is being treated at the Bac Lieu General Hospital in the eponymous southern province. Of Vietnams 1,100 Covid-19 cases, 1,023 have recovered and 35 have died. 691 were locally transmitted and the rest imported. Vietnam has gone 35 days without recording any community transmission of the virus. More than 14,000 people are in quarantine around 200 in hospitals, over 11,000 in centralized camps and the rest at home or other designated accommodations. Worldwide, more than a million have died of Covid-19, which has infected more than 36 million people. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. The Collective Security Treaty Organization, which Armenia is a member of, will provide Armenia with military assistance in case of a real threat to the countrys territorial integrity, the 6-member security blocs Secretary General Stanislav Zas said. When real threats are created for any CSTO member countrys security, stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity, then this country is entitled to apply to the CSTO, the inter-state, including emergency consultations mechanisms are activated and the necessary help or assistance is provided to that country in accordance to its request, he said. He said the other situation for it to intervene is an aggression, that is a military attack. Zas said an aggression on one member state of the CSTO is considered to be an attack on all members, and in this case based on the application of the country that is under attack the CSTO is providing any kind of assistance, including military. In such cases the CSTO response regime is initiated, he said. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan 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. 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. YouGov Large majorities of people in YouGov polls of seven European countries wanted Joe Biden to defeat President Donald Trump in the US election. People were polled in Germany, Spain, Sweden, France, Britain, Denmark, and Italy. In Denmark, just 6% of people told YouGov they wanted Trump to win reelection. Trump had the most support in Italy, where 20% of respondents said they wanted him to win. Most people surveyed in the seven countries rated Trump's performance in the White House as "terrible/poor." Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Europeans overwhelmingly want Joe Biden to defeat Donald Trump, who they see as a "terrible" US president, a new YouGov poll of seven European nations has found. YouGov asked citizens in Germany, Spain, Sweden, France, Britain, Denmark, and Italy who they wanted to win this year's US election. Large majorities in all the countries polled backed Biden, with only small minorities backing the president. Trump was least popular in Denmark, where just 6% of Danes said they wanted him to win the election, compared with 80% who said they wanted Biden. Trump on Wednesday tweeted that he was "looking forward to working with" UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson for "many years to come." In Britain, however, nearly two-thirds of respondents 61% said they wanted Biden to win the election, while just 13% said they were backing Trump. Trump received the most support in Italy, YouGov's survey found, but the portion of respondents there who said they wanted Trump to win reelection was still just 20%, while 58% said they wanted Biden to win. Trump also scored badly when people in the seven countries were asked to judge his performance as president since being elected in 2016. Getty Just 5% to 15% of respondents said his performance had been "great/good" while large majorities said it been "terrible/poor." In Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkel's government has had frosty relations with the White House since Trump's election four years ago, just 9% of people said Trump's performance had been great or good, while 75% said he had been terrible or poor. Story continues Andreas Gebert/picture alliance via Getty Images While Trump is distinctly unpopular across the seven European countries, there was not overwhelming enthusiasm for Biden as a candidate. Pluralities of respondents in each country said either that he would make an "average" president or that they "don't know" how they thought Biden would perform if elected. Few respondents said Biden would be terrible or poor (those saying that ranged from 6% in Denmark to 13% in Sweden and the UK), while 17% to 23% of respondents in the various countries said he would be good or great in office. YouGov surveyed 9,136 people across the seven countries from September 15 to October 4. Read the original article on Business Insider Washington: India referred to Pakistan's failed attempt to list four Indian nationals under the '1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee, saying countries should not misuse the UN Security Council (UNSC) to "list innocent civilians as terrorists without any evidence" with the intention of "revenge". Let us tell you that Pakistan had sought to declare the Security Council's ' 1267 al Qaeda Ban Committee ' as a terrorist by sending the names of Indian nationals, Ember Appaji, Gobind Patnaik, Ajay Mistry and Venumadhav Dongra. Pakistan's attempt to declare Appaji and Patnaik as terrorists in the Council was dismissed by the US, UK, France, Germany and Belgium last month. According to sources, Pakistan had not sent any evidence in support of its demand to add the names of these two people to the authorities . Earlier, Pakistan's attempt to include Ajay Mistry and Venumadhav Dongra in June/July had also failed in the Council. "We believe that UNSC remains an effective platform to maintain international peace and security and combat terrorism," said Yela Umashankar, first secretary and legal adviser in India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, at the 6th Committee of the UN House on "Steps to The End of International Terrorism". '' Also Read: Azerbaijan Asks Armenia To Leave Territory To Stop War Cunard preparing for its world tour in 2022 Algerian ex-President Secret Daughter Goes On Trial If corona cases continue to grow, a child will die every 15 seconds: WHO Graham said the camera was installed during his time as president because of suspicions that someone with access to his office had stolen from there a sensitive document or other items. A source familiar with the matter said the camera was later discovered by someone doing work at the union facility, 1412 W. Washington Blvd., after Catanzara took over as FOP president. Facebook said Thursday that it has taken down hundreds of fake accounts created by a marketing company that worked with the young conservative group Turning Point USA to invade the comments sections of mainstream publishers and denigrate Democratic politicians. The marketing company, Rally Forge, worked on behalf of Turning Point USA to create 200 fake identities on Facebook and 76 on Instagram, as well as 55 Facebook pages, the social media giant said in a blog post. Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebooks head of cybersecurity policy, said that Rally Forges action on behalf of [Turning Point USA] was largely politically focused, directly around the election. The accounts lingered in comment sections of Facebook pages of mainstream news sources including The Washington Post, The New York Times and MSNBC, and attacked Joe Biden and left-leaning politicians while praising President Donald Trump. NBCUniversal is the parent company of MSNBC and NBC News. The identities used stock profile photos and posed as right-leaning individuals from across the U.S. and their sole activity on our platform was associated with this deceptive campaign, Facebook said. One of the accounts pushed false claims about mail-in voting, erroneously claiming "a dangerous amount of ballots will be lost or won't arrive in time" in response to a Des Moines Register article. The announcement adds to concern that domestic misinformation campaigns are now a larger threat to the integrity of the upcoming election than foreign interference, which continues to be the subject of intense analysis. Rally Forge is now banned from Facebooks platform. Turning Point USAs official page, which has more than 1.8 million followers, is still active on Facebook. Screenshots of comments that Facebook says came from fake accounts. (via Facebook) Neither Rally Forge nor Turning Point USA and its founder and president Charlie Kirk immediately responded to requests for comment. Turning Point field director Austin Smith denied any wrongdoing in a statement to The Washington Post last month, and described the operation as a creative solution to restrictions put in place by the coronavirus. Turning Point USA was founded in 2012 and has quickly grown under the Trump administration to become one of the most popular young conservative groups in the United States. Kirk was the first speaker at the Republican National Convention. Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Tidewater Midstream and Infrastructure Ltd. (TSE:TWM) by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example! Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for Tidewater Midstream and Infrastructure Step by step through the calculation We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 Levered FCF (CA$, Millions) CA$90.0m CA$56.5m CA$40.1m CA$32.2m CA$27.9m CA$25.4m CA$24.0m CA$23.1m CA$22.7m CA$22.5m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x3 Analyst x2 Est @ -28.97% Est @ -19.78% Est @ -13.35% Est @ -8.85% Est @ -5.69% Est @ -3.49% Est @ -1.94% Est @ -0.86% Present Value (CA$, Millions) Discounted @ 14% CA$79.2 CA$43.7 CA$27.3 CA$19.3 CA$14.7 CA$11.8 CA$9.8 CA$8.3 CA$7.2 CA$6.2 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = CA$227m Story continues After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 1.7%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 14%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2030 (1 + g) (r g) = CA$22m (1 + 1.7%) (14% 1.7%) = CA$190m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= CA$190m ( 1 + 14%)10= CA$53m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is CA$280m. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of CA$0.7, the company appears about fair value at a 10% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. dcf Important assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Tidewater Midstream and Infrastructure as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 14%, which is based on a levered beta of 2.000. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. Looking Ahead: Whilst important, the DCF calculation is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For Tidewater Midstream and Infrastructure, we've compiled three pertinent factors you should explore: Risks: Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Tidewater Midstream and Infrastructure (at least 1 which is a bit unpleasant) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. Future Earnings: How does TWM's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Canadian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. I stand with the Armenians whove long been beaten by the Turkish fist says MEP Peter van Dalen 8 Oct. 2020, Brussels- Dutch MEP Peter van Dalen (EPP/CU-ECPM) delivered a fiery speech in the EP today in favor of the Armenians caught in the recent conflict in the Nagorno Karabakh region. He, and other MEPs, have pointed to Turkeys President- Recep Tayyip Erdogans military support to the Azerbaijan side, support in the form of jihadist militants. Remarks have also been made in the EP plenary to the Armenian genocide of 1915, when 1.5 million ethnic Armenians were killed in Turkey. In a letter to EU High Representative Borrell, Van Dalen and MEPs asked for EU to firmly condemn and put pressure on Turkey to cease its interference in the Azerbaijan- Armenia conflict. We cannot stop Erdogans violence with words. It is time for the European Union to draw a line in the sand. That means sanctions against the regime in Ankara. Not words, but sanctions, Van Dalen said. Mr. Van Dalen has also co-tabled a budget amendment in the Foreign Committee which was adopted last week, to stop sending pre-accession funding from EU to Turkey, since Turkey routinely breaks the rule of law, persecutes religious minorities and imprisons journalists. He is arguing for an end of accession talks and the development of a neighboring agreement instead. In an interview with Armenian Gor Khatchikyan, Mr. Van Dalen has reiterated his support for the Armenians and encouraged the Armenian community in the diaspora to continue to make their voices heard, provide a clear language and remain steadfast in their support. He also joined the Armenian protest in front of the European Parliament on October 7th. His stance was echoed in the European Parliament by other MEPs across political groups who have called for Azerbaijan to stop using cluster bombs in the conflict and for the EU High Representative Borrell to call for a ceasefire and a start for negotiations. HR Borrell made a statement at the beginning of the EP debate mentioning the efforts his office is making and cautioning everyone to mind fake news and disinformation around the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. FILE - In this April 27, 2018, file photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in cross the military demarcation line at the border village of Panmunjom in Demilitarized Zone. On both sides of the world's most heavily armed border Thursday, June 25, 2020, solemn ceremonies will mark the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of a war that killed and injured millions, left large parts of the Korean Peninsula in rubble and technically still continues. (Korea Summit Press Pool via AP. File) (AP) Israel said on Thursday it signed an aviation agreement with Jordan that will allow flights from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to fly through Israeli airspace. The agreement, announced by Israel's Transportation Ministry, comes after the signing of a diplomatic accord last month to normalize ties between Israel and the two Gulf Arab states. The deal will allow shorter flight times for some routes between Asia and Europe and North America, including flights from Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, the ministry said in a statement. Search Keywords: Short link: 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. 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. Court orders freezing of 88 bank accounts of 5 including Barkat, Rubel of Faridpur Staff Reporter : A Dhaka court ordered the freezing of 88 bank accounts of five people including former Faridpur city Awami League general secretary Sazzad Hossain Barkat and his brother Imtiaz Hasan Rubel, president of Faridpur Press Club, in a case of laundering Tk2,000 crore. Judge KM Emrul Kayes of the Senior Special Judge's Court in Dhaka passed the order on Thursday in response to an application of the Criminal Investigation Department. The three other bank account holders are: Barkat's wife Afroz Akter Parvin, Rubel's wife Soheli Imroz Punom and Abdus Sadeq Mukul. Tapash Kumar Pal, additional public prosecutor of the court, gave the details to reporters. CID Assistant Superintendent of Police Uttam Kumar Biswas, also the investigating officer in the case, applied for the freezing of the 88 bank accounts of the five people. In the application, he said the investigation has found that there are 88 bank accounts in the name of these five people and their organisation. It was very important to freeze the bank accounts for the interest of a proper investigation of the case, he said in the appeal. On 26 June, CID filed a case at Kafrul Police Station in the capital against sacked Faridpur city Awami League general secretary Sazzad Hossain Barkat and his brother Imtiaz Hasan Rubel for illegal income and laundering of Tk2,000 crore. The CID interrogated Rubel and Barkat on a five-day remand in the case. The brothers revealed the names of many others during the interrogation. District BCL president Nishan Mahmud Shamim was arrested based on Rubel and Barkat's confession and information. Earlier, city Awami League president Nazmul Islam Khandaker Levy and district Sramik League finance secretary Bellal Hossain were arrested in the case. By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean lawmakers and officials raised concerns on Wednesday about the safety of the teenage daughter of a former senior North Korean diplomat in Italy after news reports that he has settled in South Korea while she was sent back to the North. Jo Song Gil, who was North Korea's acting ambassador to Italy, disappeared with his wife after leaving the embassy without notice in November 2018. His whereabouts had been unknown since, but a member of South Korea's parliamentary intelligence committee on Tuesday confirmed news reports that Jo arrived in South Korea in July 2019 under the protection of the government. The reports triggered concerns among some lawmakers about Jo's daughter, who according to Italy's foreign ministry, was repatriated to the North at her request after her parents went missing. She is a teenager, but no other details about her were immediately known. Thae Yong-ho, Pyongyang's former deputy ambassador to Britain who defected to South Korea in 2016, had publicly asked Jo to come to the South but urged restraint in media coverage of him. "Where a defected diplomat lives determines the levels of treatment or punishment to be given to his relatives left in the North," said Thae, who is now a lawmaker. "If he takes asylum in South Korea, he is defined as a traitor, apostate. ... And no one knows what penalties would be imposed on the family members of a traitor." Cho Tae-yong, another opposition lawmaker and former deputy national security advisor, accused the government of leaking the information even though Jo had not wanted his defection to be publicly known because of his daughter. "It was impossible to know without help from intelligence authorities and the government effectively confirmed it, which was an act that completely lacked humanitarian considerations regarding his daughter," Cho told a parliamentary session. The National Intelligence Service declined comment. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said at the session she was "surprised" to see the news and shared the lawmakers' concerns about the safety of Jo's daughter. (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation and also a top peace negotiator with the Taliban, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his National Security Advisor Ajit Doval here on Thursday. While Abdullah, also a key leader for the intra-Afghan talks, is seen to have some proximity with the Taliban and Pakistan, his meeting with Modi marked a significant shift in India's position on the militant group. India has traditionally been opposed to the Pakistan-backed Taliban in Afghanistan. Thousands of Afghans were given refuge in India when they fled the country due to oppression of the Taliban regime. India has been in support of the democratically elected governments in Kabul. Prime Minister Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani share a good relationship in the region. After last year's presidential elections, both Ghani and Abdullah had claimed victory. The disputed election results created a political stalemate for months, which eventually ended up in a power-sharing arrangement between Abdullah and Ghani in May this year. While Ghani remains the President, Abdullah heads the National Reconciliation High Council, a body that holds peace talks with the Taliban. In June, a UN Security Council report had said that not only do the Taliban and the Al Qaeda continue to cooperate with each other, but Kashmir-specific Pakistani terror groups, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), were sending their trainers to Afghanistan to carry out target assassinations. The report added that around 6,500 Pakistani terrorists, including 1,000 from the JeM and LeT, are present in Afghanistan. This was followed by a Pentagon report, which said the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region remains a sanctuary for the LeT, JeM, Al Qaeda, Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and IS-Khorasan. Kabul has had a long troubled relationship with Islamabad because of Pakistani military's support to the Taliban. Last month, Abdullah visited Pakistan where he announced that Afghanistan and Pakistan were on the threshold of a new relationship based on "mutual respect, sincere cooperation, and shared prosperity". In his meetings with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and powerful military chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, Abdullah advocated that the neighboring countries in the region should cooperate with each other. Though Pakistan's cross-border terrorism remains a concern for India, but Modi's meeting with Abdullah suggests that New Delhi was more than willing to back the democratically elected Ghani and Abdullah to arrive at a resolution with the Taliban. The Intra-Afghan peace negotiations, which started last month between the Taliban and the democratically elected government representatives are going on in Qatar. The talks aimed at ending the 19-year war have not led to any resolutions yet. In Afghanistan, despite the efforts for peace, massive violence continues unabated. The negotiations in Qatar follow a landmark peace deal between the US and the Taliban signed on February 29. The US-led NATO forces, under the deal, will leave Afghanistan by May 2021 in exchange for an end to violence from the Taliban. A Greek court on Thursday will deliver eagerly-awaited sentences after leaders of neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn were found guilty of running a criminal outfit in a landmark case, a court source said. The court is also expected to announce whether judges would accept any mitigating terms in passing sentences, said the source, who wished to remain anonymous. After over five years of hearings, the panel of three judges on Wednesday unanimously labelled the paramilitary party a criminal organisation in what was seen as the most important political trial in decades. The verdict translates into possible prison sentences of up to 15 years for the top members of the party, including its founder and longterm leader Nikos Michaloliakos. Unless the court on Thursday agrees to suspend sentencing pending appeals, police are standing by to take those convicted to prison, a police source said. Key crimes carried out by Golden Dawn are the 2013 cold-blooded murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas and the beating of Egyptian fishermen in 2012 and communist trade unionists in 2013, the court established. Fifty people were convicted on Wednesday, among them 18 former Golden Dawn members of parliament. One of them is now a European parliament lawmaker. A European parliament source told AFP that a member's immunity can be lifted following a request by Greek judicial authorities, after sentences are passed. - 'Fight to the end' - In a Twitter post on Wednesday, Michaloliakos said he would "fight to the end" to overturn his conviction. As the verdict was announced Wednesday, police and anti-fascist demonstrators briefly clashed outside the courthouse, where some 20,000 people had gathered according to the government. Defence lawyers lobbied the judges late into the night for lighter sentencing over prior good behaviour, the court source said. According to media reports, two formerly senior Golden Dawn members claimed to be animal lovers. One said he was a longterm blood donor. Story continues Michaloliakos had famously called his party the "seed of the vanquished" in World War II. He has been pictured making Nazi salutes and referred to Adolf Hitler as a "visionary". The 62-year-old former mathematician and disciple of Greek dictator Georgios Papadopoulos has also denied the existence of Holocaust crematoria and called illegal immigration a "wound". - Nazi model - During the investigation, prosecutors said Michaloliakos ran his party under a military-style hierarchy modelled on Hitler's Nazi party, with himself as the undisputed leader for over three decades. A search of party members' homes in 2013 uncovered firearms and other weapons, as well as Nazi and fascist memorabilia. Much of that came from the home of deputy leader Christos Pappas, where police found swastika flags, two German army helmets and bottles stamped with images of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. Formerly on the political fringe, Golden Dawn grabbed over 426,000 votes in June 2012 after pledging to "scour the country" clean of illegal immigrants. Many of its voters were police officers. Denying any neo-Nazi affiliation and portraying themselves as anti-corruption nationalists, Golden Dawn attacked mainstream parties as "traitors" and "thieves". They tapped into widespread anger towards the string of conservative and socialist governments that brought Greece to the brink of bankruptcy in 2010. Golden Dawn also capitalised on a perceived rise in the crime rate, blaming it on migrants. At the height of its power, the party topped 10 percent in surveys, making it the third most popular party in the country. Greek courts had for years been unable to keep Golden Dawn from running because laws in the country prohibit the suppression of ideology. "We won a battle... but fascism is not beaten like this. It takes struggle," the slain rapper's mother Magda Fyssas told reporters on Wednesday. Two days before the trial verdict, a Jewish cemetery near Athens was defaced with Nazi graffiti. "Juden Raus", a phrase once used by the Nazis that means "Jews Out" in German, was painted in black on the outside fence of the cemetery in the town of Nikaia, along with Golden Dawn's symbol. str-jph/mbx Photo: (Photo : Photo by Philippe Jausions on Unsplash) The miracle twins who survived a rare condition while in their mother's womb are now home with their parents. Dana Salmonese, 30, learned that she was having twins just after New Year's day. Everything was doing fine until one night when she had to wake up due to heavy bleeding. She said that she thought she had lost the twins. It was the scariest moment of her life, she added. Her husband, Joe, then rushed her to the hospital near Huntington, New York. Sonogram results showed that the babies have healthy heartbeats; however, the mom had a subchorionic hematoma. She then had to go on bed rest. READ: Two Toddlers Have Been Orphaned When Adoptive Mom Died Due to COVID-19 That Wasn't the Worst Part She was 17 weeks into her pregnancy when she started feeling much better and eventually moved around with no bleeding episodes. She thought that finally, she would be able to have a normal pregnancy from that time forward. But the worst has not yet come. Suddenly, the couple was looking at the possibility of a rare condition that can be life-threatening if left untreatedoften, the survival rate is 10 to 20 percent. One of twins looked like he didn't have much room and wasn't moving, Dana said, describing what she saw on the monitor. The other one, on the other hand, had all the room and was floating and "kicking all over". But strangely enough, she could not feel it. According to the doctors, her twins likely have a twin to twin transfusion syndrome. TTTS is a condition in which genetically identical babies share the same placenta. Sharing the same placenta meant that the babies also share connecting blood vessels. With TTTS, blood flow is unbalanced and often leads to one of the other babies donating blood. WOW: A Couple Realized They Were Pregnant With Quadruplets, Weeks After Adopting Four Kids A Scary Moment for a Mother-to-Be An appointment with Dr. Martin Chavez, director of maternal-fetal medicine at NYU Winthrop Hospital, was immediately made. Dana then realized how serious the situation is and felt very scared. The next day, Dr. Chavez performed a procedure called laser photocoagulation. The procedure involved closing the abnormal blood connection using a laser to allow the pregnancy to continue as far along and safely as possible, PEOPLE noted. At 31 weeks of pregnancy, the twins were born by cesarean delivery. Dana said she didn't want to deliver them yet, but one of the twins was not getting any blood flow from the placenta. And so, on June 5, 2020, Vinny arrived and weighed 4 lbs while Pauly was born at 2 lbs and 9 oz. The twins were then taken to the NICU. "Our miracle babies" The babies did well while spending almost three months in the NICU and despite all the challenges the family had to go through, including the stress and threat of the pandemic. The miracle twins are now home. They had a 10 percent chance of survival, she told TODAY, and "they did it." A GoFundMe has been organized to help with the medical bills and therapy of the twins. Dana said she will also donate 10 percent of the proceeds to the Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome Foundation. READ NEXT: Mom and Daughter Teachers Die From COVID-19 Less Than Three Weeks Apart 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. Trump Promises Platinum Plan for Black Americans In an attempt to win Black voters that have been elusive for the Republican Party for many cycles, President Donald Trump announced a Platinum Plan, of Black Economic Empowerment. Trump unveiled the plan during an Atlanta rally with less than six weeks left until Election Day on November 3rd. Currently, President Barack Obamas former Vice President Joe Biden in leading in the polls in many key states in the presidential contest. Trumps proposals for Black America include prosecuting Antifa and the the Ku Klux Klan, making Juneteenth a holiday on the federal level and proposals focused on Black wealth. Trumps proposal related to improving Black economic standing included an investment of $500 billion in Black communities. Trump did not disclose how he would pay for such a plan. ADVERTISEMENT Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused over 200,000 deaths and 50 million to file for unemployment, budgets on the federal level are expected to be tight in the coming years. Trump attacked his Democratic rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, as he announced his proposal saying that Biden inflicted damage on Black communities during his four decades in Washington. Biden should not be demanding your support; he should be begging for your forgiveness, Trump told a crowd of supporters on September 25. No one in politics today has done more to hurt the Black community than Joe Biden, Trump added. Trump may have in part been referring to Bidens authorship of the Clinton Crime Bill of 1994, or more formally, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. The tough on crime law was a driver of mass incarceration through the 1990s as it incentivized incarceration. Trump won 8% of the Black electorate in 2016 as he defeated Hillary Clinton. Clinton won the popular vote by close to three million voters but Trump won the electoral college map. Current polling shows that Biden is ahead of Trump with Black voters by a very wide margin: 83% to 8%. The introduction of his plan for Black America is likely an attempt to win the support of Black voters in what could be a close presidential contest. 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. 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. We are able to meet that demand because of the generosity and the generous spirit of this community, Louis said. We are so grateful, not only for this gift today, but for the volunteering that your group has done in our market and for the food drive you hosted for us. It all makes a huge difference. MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian police detained two members of the Pussy Riot punk group on Thursday, activist Pyotr Verzilov said, a day after the group hung up rainbow flags on government buildings on President Vladimir Putin's birthday to promote gay rights. Verzilov, an anti-Kremlin activist and associate of Pussy Riot, posted videos on social media of police officers detaining two women that he identified as activists Maria Alyokhina and Nika Nikulshina. It was not immediately clear why the women had been detained. (Reporting by Polina Ivanova; writing by Tom Balmforth; editing by Andrew Osborn) Manipur: This village floats between non-existence and a hard reality, made worse by Covid by Angana Chakrabarti and Yimkumla Longkumer October 08,2020 | Source: The Sangai Express Among the Meiteis of Manipur, markets and trade have traditionally been handled by the women. Its no different in Loktak Lake. Although fishing is primarily done by men, women are in charge of transporting the catch and selling it in the markets. But for the last few months, these women have had little to do. We used to go to Ningthoukhong (a town on the shore) to sell or even catch some fish there, but due to this lockdown, we have been restricted to sell at the community clubs and the people there, said 46-year-old Ningthoujam Ungbi Thasana Devi. We sun-dry the fish and turn it into fermented fish and store themWe also have some dried fish but we cannot store them for long as it gets covered by fungus. So, we have been suffering, she said. A history of Loktaks issues Loktak Lake, which covers an area of 287 sq km, has played an integral role in the economy of Manipur. According to the study, Insight into the Socio-economic Life of Fishers of Loktak Lake, Manipur A Ramsar Site, prior to the 1950s, the lake contributed to 60 per cent of the fish production of the State, which has dropped to 11 per cent in recent times. About 12 lakh people of Manipur are said to be indirectly or directly dependent on the Loktak, which in the Meitei language means where the streams end/meet. The lake is fed by eight rivers including the Imphal river. In 1990, it was declared a Ramsar site a wetland of international importance under UNESCO. The lake, however, has been at the centre of many controversies. Trouble started brewing back in 1983 with the commissioning of the Ithai barrage, which was constructed close to the confluence of the Imphal and Tuitha rivers to harness Loktaks waters to generate hydropower. Before the commission of the Ithai barrage, it (the Loktak Lake) would dry up in the rainy seasonduring the summer we would cultivate and also catch fish. There wasnt any lack of vegetation, Deven said. The barrage ended up affecting the hydrological regimen of the water. As a result, the water level of Loktak became more or less stagnant and the fishermen lost out on a source of income they would earn by cultivating the land. Encroachers of Loktak Three years later, in 1986, while residents of Loktak were adjusting to the drastic ecological changes, the State Government constituted the Loktak Development Authority (LDA), to check the deteriorating condition of Loktak Lake and bring about improvement of the lake ecosystem. In 2006, the LDA enforced the Manipur Loktak Protection Act. According to the Act, no person shall without the previous approval of the Authority obtain any lake resources. The Act also prohibits the setting up of a house or hut on a phumdi. Five years later, the LDA burned down about 777 of the more than 1,000 floating huts of the village. Haobijam Kumar had been living in Champu Khangpok for 30 years before his house was allegedly burnt down on 13 November 2011. My family was outside on the lake for some work. We came back to find our house was all up in ash and smoke with everything that we ever had like fishing equipment, paper documents, books, clothes, etc were burnt, said the 58-year-old, who is now a fisherman in the nearby Thanga village. Life has been an endless struggle since then(If I could) I would definitely like to go back and live again in Champu Khangpok. The Act hasnt been struck down despite appeals from the civil society groups as well as the BJP back in 2011, when it was the Opposition party in the then-Congress ruled State. Today, only 166 families continue living in Champu Khangpok. A fight for livelihood Fifty-year-old Houbijam Biramangol Singh is a second-generation fisherman who has been living and working in Champu Khangpok for 30 years now. As the polling booth at Karang island was removed, he was forced to register his voter ID, Aadhaar card, and ration cards to Thanga where his brother lives. His day begins at 4 am, and he sets out of the house by 7.30 am to go and pick up the fishing nets suspended in the water overnight. The nets are reeled back in by 11 am and the fishermen return to process the fish, which typically involves smoke drying them a delicacy in Manipur. Biramangol Singh returns to the waters again late afternoon and stays in the waters until 9 pm after which he comes back in, cleans, and smoke-dries the new catch. Its 17-18 hour days that yields anywhere between Rs 2,000 to Rs 15,000 a month. Whatever our income from the work at Loktak is barely enough for our childrens education and also to support the family at the same time, Singh said. We want the PDS items to be distributed here as it takes us one-and-a-half to two hours to go by boat and get the supplies from the nearest distribution spot, he said. Every month, the fishermen and their families wait for the local authorities to announce the availability of ration on the loudspeakers placed across different spots in the lake. Sometimes we get it but sometimes we dont. If they announce it today that they will give the PDS from tomorrow, they will distribute it only for two days, Deven said. Its 1.5-2 hours away. Also the information can be erratic and if we go after 2 days, they will tell us that the ration is over. Knocking on ECs doors : Compelled by the plight of the village, the Champu Khangpok Floating Village Welfare Committee on 10 September submitted a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer, Manipur, appealing for the enrolment of the 383 residents as voters of the village. The letter mentions an RTI response, filed by one Pradip Chatterjee, which reveals that electoral rolls for the village were only available for 1988, 1989, and 1990. We are enlisted as voters in other villages even though we live in Champu Khangpok. Meaning that our legal existence at Champu Khangpok is not recognised but identified somewhere else, the letter adds. In a telephonic interview with The Print, Joint Chief Electoral Officer of Manipur Ramananda Nongmeikapam, to whom the welfare committees letter is addressed, said, We have written to the Deputy Commissioner of that district (Bishnupur) to inquire (into this), to visit the particular area of the village. When they ascertain saying that they are ordinary residents, then we will initiate action to get them enrolled in a particular police station. We will create a police station for them, he added. Responding to a question on whether the Loktak Protection Act 2006 will have a bearing on the decision, he said, Im not aware of other environmental Acts, but we will act (based) on the Representation of Peoples Act If they are citizens they should be given a voting right. What was there before, should be revived. We should have voting rights in the place we are working in, Deven Singh said. This will, however, just be the start for the villagers of Champu Khangpok. Since 2019, the people have also been battling with the Manipur Government over their plans to develop an Inland Waterways Project in Loktak Lake that would lead to further deterioration. The pandemic is temporary but the Inland Waterways Project, the locals said, will forever alter their lives. Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who is the leading champion of the graduated tax amendment and has been unafraid of adding or boosting taxes on gaming, marijuana, motor fuel, cable and streaming services and so on, has emphatically refused to put retirement-income taxes on the table, though they would bring in hundreds of millions of new dollars. Even Frerichs says hes against it. He abruptly and without explanation canceled a news conference Tuesday at which he was to declare his opposition to taxes on retirement income, presumably for fear that such an event would simply give oxygen to those trying to whip up opposition to the referendum. Since students in Divest NU first raised the issue of the University of Nebraska pulling $91.3 million in investments from fossil fuel companies to the Board of Regents, late last year and earlier this year, the world changed once more. In addition to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, wildfires have scorched hundreds of thousands of acres in the West. Hurricanes and tropical storms continue to batter the Gulf Coast in a record-breaking year. And nearly 80% of Nebraska is experiencing a drought. Representatives from Divest NU returned to Thursdays meeting of the board to renew their plea for the university to take action. I believe divesting from fossil fuels is an imperative action because our current involvement in the industry directly conflicts with the future plans of our institution, said Anna Krause, a senior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from Lincoln. As the president of the student advisory board for UNLs College of Arts and Sciences, Krause said students have become increasingly more concerned about issues surrounding climate change and the environment and have sought to reflect those concerns in the universitys broader strategic plan. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-09 03:58:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- The delegation of the European Union (EU) to Libya on Thursday said that the EU has repaired two Libyan vessels to reinforce Libyan maritime border security. "Two vessels of the Libyan General Administration for Costal Security returned to Libya from the port of Bizerte (Tunisia) where they had been undergoing substantial repairs," the delegation said in a statement. The repair of the ships was part of the Integrated Border and Migration Management project in Libya, financed by Italy and the EU under the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa and implemented by the Italian Ministry of Interior. The vessels will improve Libyan maritime border security capacities as they will be used for conducting search and rescue operations to save lives, as well as fighting human trafficking and organized crime along the Libyan coast, the statement added. Enditem (Photo : Joe Raedle/Getty Images) FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - MARCH 07: Lt. Mike Baute from Florida's Child Predator CyberCrime Unit talks with a man on instant messenger during the unveiling of a new CyberCrimes office March 7, 2008 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The person on the other side of the chat told Lt. Baute, who is saying he is a 14-year-old girl, that he is a 31-year-old male and sent him a photograph of himself. According to current statistics, more than 77 million children regularly use the Internet. The Federal Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force says Florida ranks fourth in the nation in volume of child pornography. Nationally, one in seven children between the ages of 10 and 17 have been solicited online by a sexual predator. (Photo : BlackBerry ) BlackBerry Logo Security firm BlackBerry exposed the hacker group's sophisticated operations using fake social media accounts and websites as well as mobile apps to collect personal information and spread Android malware in the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia. The security firm BlackBerry describes in its lengthy report the hacker-for-hire group's "vast fake empire" of websites, malicious mobile apps, and false social media accounts. These are designed to monitor and steal credentials of their targets, which include government officials, business leaders, and even activists in India and the Middle East. Hacker-for-Hire's Operations are 'Staggering' BlackBerry VP of Research Operations Eric Milam called the scope of Bahamut's operations "staggering." The group was first known in 2017 by Bellingcat investigative journalists who connected Bahamut to five years of cyber spying in South East Asia and the Persian Gulf. "This is an unusual group in that their operational security is well above average, making them hard to pin down," Milam said. The security firm compared various researches from different security companies including Trend Micro, Symantec, and Kaspersky to its own recent findings on the hacker-for-hire organization. Milam also noted that the group is responsible for numerous unsolved cases that researchers have been working on for years as well as various credential harvesting campaigns, elaborate and extremely-targeted phishing, zero-day exploits, numerous new Windows malware as well as anti-forensic and anti-virus evasion tactics. Read also: Ransomware Attack Slows Down Clinical Trials for COVID-19 Vaccine, Drugs, and Test Kits Hacker-for-hire: Bahamut's sophisticated operations Bahamut has been known to patiently observe their targets for at least a year or more before executing its highly intricate attack. This detours security researchers in their investigations on their intentions regarding their actions. Aside from their exceptional patience, Milam noted that the group is an expert at phishing, displays remarkable attention to detail, and targets specific individuals to get into an organization. The group has reportedly targeted people who are interested in a Sikh separatist movement by employing legitimate-looking websites that are filled with various Sikh separatist contents. Blackberry found out that some websites were utilized used to spread Android malware or collect personal data. Despite its ability to develop a sophisticated malware and deployment attack, which involves malicious apps on the Apple App and Google Play stores as well as zero-day Windows exploits, Bahumet takes malware as its last resort. Also, BlackBerry was able to pinpoint the reason the hacker-for-hire group targeted the tech news website called Techsprouts. The site was updated periodically by a 'team' of content writers whose profile pictures were taken from other online sources, but BlackBerry noted that it did not host any malicious content. One possible reason for the group's "seemingly harmless actions" was that it runs benign websites and email campaigns to better understand its targets' online habits before it delivers a full phishing and malware attacks. While BlackBerry did not confirm Bahamut hackers' relation to any nation or state, it has concluded that it seems like "a mercenary group offering hack-for-hire services to a wide range of clients". Previously, Bahamut was connected to operations that involve information collection on a European human rights group, Iranian women's rights organization as well as government officials in Iran and Turkey. Read also: Parler, Gab, Other US Social Media Platforms Allegedly Linked to Russian Trolls This is owned by Tech Times Written by CJ Robles 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. KYODO NEWS - Oct 8, 2020 - 15:06 | All, Japan Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said he and the U.S. military's top general stationed in the country met Thursday and shared concerns over China's expanding maritime activities in the East and South China seas. During their talks at the headquarters of U.S. Forces Japan located at Yokota Air Base, Kishi and Lt. Gen. Kevin Schneider, commander of U.S. Forces Japan, also confirmed continued bilateral cooperation to counter North Korea's military threat. "During the discussion, the two reiterated the critical importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance to maintaining peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region," U.S. Forces Japan said in a statement. "The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to work together bilaterally to address common security threats," it said. Kishi's first visit to the base in western Tokyo after taking office last month came days after foreign ministers of the two countries plus those of Australia and India reaffirmed maritime security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region in a Tokyo meeting. The defense chief also inspected the Air Self-Defense Force's Air Defense Command Headquarters, which is located in Yokota and in charge of missile defense operations, to check the country's airspace monitoring system, including how to respond to North Korean ballistic missiles. Kishi and Schneider also reaffirmed that the ongoing project to transfer the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma within the southern island prefecture of Okinawa is "the only solution" to address safety issues posed by the base, which is located in a residential area, without undermining the deterrence provided by the Japan-U.S. security alliance. Despite local opposition, Tokyo and Washington have long sought to relocate the base from a crowded area in Ginowan to the Henoko coastal area of Nago in accordance with a 1996 bilateral agreement. On Wednesday, Kishi held phone talks with his U.S. counterpart Mark Esper and agreed to work closely with him to come up with an alternative to the scrapped deployment of the land-based, U.S.-developed Aegis Ashore missile interception system. Related coverage: Okinawa governor asks Japan PM Suga for dialogue on U.S. base transfer Japan, U.S. agree to work on alternative to Aegis Ashore plan Japan seeks record defense budget to boost capabilities in new areas Stock Market Spy ETF Testing March Price Peak What Do the Charts Say? RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: The SPY has been trading below its previous peak resistance level from March for more than two weeks and has begun to retest this level. If the SPY can clear this level on moderately strong volume, we believe the US stock market may enter another melt-up phase. If not, then we may see more of a sideways/melt-down phase headed into the US Presidential Elections. The SPY, SPDR S&P 500 ETF, has been trading below the $339.50, previous peak resistance level, for more than two weeks recently and has begun to retest this level. I believe these levels are critical in determining the future trending capacity of the SPY and the US stock market. If the SPY can clear this level on moderately strong volume, we believe the US stock market may enter another melt-up phase. If not, then we may see more of a sideways/melt-down phase headed into the US Presidential Elections. SPY PRICE RESISTANCE AT $339.50 This Daily SPY chart below highlights our Adaptive Fibonacci Price Modeling system and shows the Previous Peak Resistance level as a SOLID RED LINE. We believe the current setup suggests this resistance level may act as a solid ceiling in price over the next few weeks. If price can break through this resistance level for a few trading sessions then we will likely see it continue marching up (until the next news bomb hits). Below, we look at the Weekly SPY chart to see the bigger picture with a longer-term chart. We can easily spot the resistance near the $339.50 previous peak level and how the current price is retesting this critical price level. We believe the markets are simply waffling sideways before the US Presidential elections. Watch for the $339.50 level to be accepted or rejected. Traders should stay very cautious and look for sectors that present greater opportunities and defined trends. The major indexes are going to continue to trade in a sideways pattern as Washington DC and the Senate are stuck in paralysis before the elections. There are still opportunities to profit from some of these moves, just be cautious of the volatility at play in the markets. As a technical analyst and trader since 1997, I have been through a few bull/bear market cycles in stocks and commodities. I believe I have a good pulse on the market and timing key turning points for investing and short-term swing traders. Subscribers of my Active ETF Swing Trading Newsletter can ride my coattails as I navigate these financial markets and build wealth. My research and trading team are here to help you find better trades and navigate these incredibly crazy market trends. While most of us have active trading accounts, our long-term investment and retirement accounts are equally at risk. We can also help you preserve and even grow your long term capital when things get ugly (likely now) with our Passive Long-Term ETF Investing Signals. Dont wait until it is too late subscribe today! 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. As the final phase of negotiations over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam begin, all those involved must hope that a just solution can be found that is satisfactory to all The crisis surrounding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is a product of the manipulations of the world powers, Ethiopias regional ambitions, and Egyptian miscalculations and mistakes. The GERD crisis and other Nile Basin controversies always rear their head when Egypt is weak and recede when Egypt regains its strength and demonstrates its will and determination. It is common knowledge that Egypt has long been coveted by international and regional powers because of its unique civilisational heritage and its strategic location at the juncture of continents and astride the most important waterway in the world. If the historical record speaks of endless conspiracies and wars against Egypt, the present is not without collusions against Egyptian interests either, and the countrys future will be at risk unless we remain vigilant against such lurking dangers. Such is the fate of Egypt. It is either a defiant hero or a slave. The current weakness in Egypt and the Arab world began in the 1990s. It has brought the destruction of Iraq and the Iraqi nation, the devastation of Syria and the largest displacement of people in history, the internal fragmentation of Lebanon, massive human and material destruction in Libya, the partition of Sudan, the collapse of Somalia and the near total collapse of Yemen. Among the signs of Egypts weakness during the period have been the international adoption of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) at Egypts expense, resulting in the Entebbe Agreement, the execution of Ethiopian plans to construct dams on the Blue Nile, and various other designs on the Nile Basin. In the confusion and disarray that followed the January 2011 Revolution, Egypt made a number of mistakes that ultimately brought us to the stage we are at today: the near completion of the construction of the GERD, the first filling of the reservoir and a halt in the talks due to Ethiopian intransigence. The collapse of the trilateral talks between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan was inevitable because of Addis Ababas constant shifting of the goalposts. At first, Ethiopia led us to believe that the purpose of the GERD was to serve its electricity needs for both domestic development and export. Cairo and Khartoum approved and welcomed this aim, and the three governments signed an agreement on a Declaration of Principles that called on them to agree terms on the filling and operation of the dam on the basis of joint studies that they would set in motion. Their guiding principle was that Ethiopia should be able to produce the greatest amounts of electricity possible at the GERD without causing harm to the downstream nations of Egypt and Sudan. But then Addis Ababa created one problem after the next in order to evade its commitments under the terms of the agreement and to buy time. As a result, the years since the agreement was signed in 2015 passed by without the necessary studies being performed and without the hoped-for trilateral agreement on the rules for filling and operating the dam. An outside party had to be called in to mediate, and in late 2019 Washington sponsored a series of intensive technical talks on the GERD also attended by World Bank experts. By February 2020, the three parties had overcome most of their differences and had agreed on most of the rules for filling and operating the GERD. However, Ethiopia then withdrew from the talks on the eve of the day the three parties were due to sign an agreement in Washington. Moreover, it suddenly insisted on a quota of Blue Nile water and wanted Egypt and Sudan to agree to let it build whatever dams it wanted on the Blue Nile. It also refused to commit to a binding agreement on the rules for filling and operating the GERD and rejected the principle of the recourse to international arbitration in order to resolve any disputes that might arise between Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia over the interpretation or implementation of any agreements reached. As all involved in the negotiations agree, Egypt is in a difficult situation regarding its water resources. The government has allocated over a trillion pounds over the past 20 years to raising the efficiency of our water network from 75 to 85 per cent by lining irrigation canals to prevent seepage, replacing outworn installations, modernising irrigation systems, improving agricultural runoff water treatment, and other such measures needed to meet our growing populations increasing demands on available water resources. The government has also expanded water desalinisation projects along the Red Sea and Mediterranean coasts to meet the domestic and industrial water needs of the growing coastal urban areas and industrial zones. Given its already severe water deficit, any reduction in Egypts quota of Nile water could have grave economic, social and security impacts. Therefore, any agreement that is not legally binding on Ethiopia will not be worth the paper it is written on. In like manner, it will not be feasible to implement any agreement that lacks a provision for international arbitration because of the possible disputes that could arise. On 29 September, the Ethiopian publication Ethiopian Insight featured an article by Raphael Lapin, a US-based law professor of South African origin, proposing a solution to the GERD dispute through trust, linkage and cooperation. Lapins suggestions included increased Egyptian investment in Ethiopia and in the GERD, expanding cultural, educational, technological and agricultural cooperation and exchanges, and signing more trade agreements as well as trilateral military and counterterrorism pacts between Cairo, Khartoum and Addis Ababa. Lapin suggested a resolution to the crisis over the GERD in two phases. The first would result in an immediate interim agreement covering the most urgent issues and would be of limited duration, essentially just long enough to build trust and lay the foundations of cooperation between the three countries. This would pave the way to the second phase of a long-term joint accord. Towards this end, wide-ranging negotiations would aim at building a strong and sustainable collaborative relationship centering around the optimum utilisation of the Eastern Nile Basin. Unfortunately, Lapin did not mention the details of his plan, which is where the devil lies, but it is clear that getting the parties to come to terms over them would be a formidable task. With regard to arbitration, which he says is at the core of the disagreement between Cairo and Addis Ababa, Lapin suggests that the three parties agree on an international mediator that in the event of a dispute would attempt to reconcile the differences between them amicably. If that failed, they would turn to international arbitration as the remaining recourse. Lapins proposals merit consideration, even if they are not entirely new and even though Ethiopia has already rejected similar ideas. The very fact that his article appeared in an Ethiopian newspaper at this time is a sign that Ethiopia is keen to resolve this crisis that has been taking its toll on the government domestically. Egypt, too, would like to resolve this crisis with the least possible friction with fellow African countries, and it has been working hard to promote a fair, realistic, viable and sustainable solution through its communications with the international community, the world powers involved in the region, the East African governments, international observers from the African Union, and other parties. Some voices in Egypt have called for a targeted military strike against the GERD as a solution to the problem. They have argued that the role of the Egyptian armed forces is to safeguard national security and the welfare of the people and that Egypts water quota is not just a matter of national interest but also a question of life and death. But the decision to go to war is of course a serious business. This is not a decision that should be taken by armchair generals or in the heat of anger. Questions of war and peace require a cool head and need to be based on thorough and multifaceted strategic studies and not on opinions bandied around over social-networking platforms. In my opinion, military action should not be ruled out as an option altogether. However, it should only be the very last resort after all other peaceful and rational avenues have been exhausted and then only if it can truly serve the higher interests of Egypt and the Egyptian people. Peace is the path of a rational people, and the pursuit of fairness and justice can offer solutions satisfactory to all. In this spirit, as we stand at the threshold of the final episode in the GERD negotiations, we must hope that it will lead to solutions that ensure peaceful coexistence with our regional partners and that pave the way to development, progress and prosperity for all the peoples of the region. The writer is former minister of water resources and irrigation and a professor of water resources at the Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University. *A version of this article appears in print in the 8 October, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 8) The countrys COVID-19 cases are on a downtrend, but the government may consider a stricter quarantine classification for 13 areas which have seen an increase in viral transmission, said experts from the University of the Philippines. The UP OCTA Research team noted in its October 6 report that over the past three weeks, the following 11 high-risk areas saw a rise in their daily attack rates per 1,000 population: - Benguet (including Baguio City) - Nueva Ecija - Quezon - Pangasinan (including Dagupan) - Davao del Sur (including Davao City) - Iloilo (including Iloilo City) - Misamis Oriental (including Cagayan de Oro) - South Cotabato - Surigao del Sur - Western Samar - Zamboanga del Sur (including Zamboanga City) The team said these areas are considered high-risk as they have a daily attack rate greater than one percent and have reported an upward trend since Sept. 16. The attack rate refers to the percentage of the population that catches the virus over a period. The national government may consider reverting to a stricter quarantine classification for the aforementioned areas, the team said. Meanwhile, it also suggested placing the provinces of Cagayan and Isabela under a stricter quarantine status. While both are still classified as low-risk, it said the two areas have likewise been recording a rise in new cases and have limited hospital capacity. The report also showed that the provinces of Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Negros Occidental have logged a decline in their daily attack rates. However, they are still considered high-risk after reporting more than 100 new cases daily over the past two weeks. Along with Metro Manila, these five areas typically account for the highest number of new patients announced by the Department of Health (DOH) daily. The national and local government must intensify their efforts at testing, tracing, and isolation to reverse the increase of transmissions in these areas, the group said. Decreasing trend for PH While an increase has been seen in some areas, the national COVID-19 figures have generally been improving, experts said. They noted that the country's new cases have dropped to an average of below 2,500 daily based on DOH reports. In Metro Manila, the countrys outbreak epicenter, new infections are now at less than 1,000 per day. The positivity rate in the National Capital Region, or the percentage of people who test positive for the virus out of all those tested, also dipped to eight percent. The group pointed out, however, that this is still above the World Health Organizations ideal rate of five percent. It further stressed that the positive trends are "not irreversible" and that significant efforts must be made by all stakeholders to sustain the gains. It added that the implementation of more aggressive localized lockdowns in Metro Manila and other high-risk areas are urgently needed to suppress further viral transmissions. As of Oct. 8, the country's case tally reached 331,869. Of this number, the DOH said 51,482 are currently ill, 6,069 have died and 274,318 have recovered. 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. VP repeatedly exceeded two minute slot to answer questions (Getty Images) "Mr vice president, I'm speaking". That was the response from senator Kamala Harris last night to repeated interruptions from Mike Pence, during the VP debate. Ms Harris and Mr Pence faced off in Salt Lake City last night for the first and only vice presidential debate of the 2020 race for the White House. Following last week's shambolic affair between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, debate moderator Susan Page called for a "civil discussion" in the mostly empty auditorium at the University of Utah. Separated by a plexiglass barrier, the two candidates went toe-to-toe on everything from the coronavirus pandemic and social unrest to the race to confirm a supreme court justice before November's election. And while Ms Page's demands may have been met in that Wednesday's proceedings were far more cordial than the chaotic scenes witnessed in Ohio last week, the vice president talked over Ms Harris on several occasions. According to a CBS News analysis, Mr Pence made twice as many interruptions as his rival (10-5). Both candidates were given two minutes to answer each question, but the analysis shows the VP spoke for 38 minutes compared with Harris's 35 minutes. Here's a list of some of those interruptions: Coronavirus pandemic One of Pence's first interruptions came when the pair dicussed coronavirus, which has infected several of the president's closest aides. Ms Harris, the first black woman to participate in a vice presidential debate, accused the White House of the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country over its handling of the pandemic, which has claimed more than 212,000 US lives. Ms Harris, 55, said both the president and Mr Pence who is head of the White House's coronavirus task force had known about the severity of the pandemic as early as 28 January, but refused to be honest with the American people. Mr Pence, 61, attempted to interrupt his rival but she responded with "Mr vice president, I'm speaking" a line that has come to define Wednesday's debate. Story continues Taxes "This is supposed to be a debate based on fact and truth. And the truth and the fact is that Joe Biden has been very clear that he will not raise taxes on anybody who makes less than $400,000 a year". That was the rebuttal from Ms Harris after her rival claimed that Mr Biden plans to raise taxes if he is elected to office an attack line used repeatedly by the president last week. Cutting into Ms Harris's allotted two minutes, the vice president countered that Mr Biden would "repeal the Trump tax cuts" cuts that critics say benefit only the richest Americans. But before the vice president got to finishing his sentence, Ms Harris told him: "Mr vice president, I'm speaking". Healthcare Senator Harris and VP Pence clash at Wednesdays debateGetty Images Democrats have accused the Trump administration of attempting to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, also known as 'Obamacare', which provides millions of Americans with affordable health insurance. And with coronavirus cases surging in the US heading into flu season, healthcare has become an increasingly important issue for many people heading to the polls. Discussing the issue on Wednesday night, Mr Pence spoke over his rival, who was forced to plead with the moderator to let her finish: "He interrupted me, and I'd like to just finish, please," Ms Harris said after the moderator called time on her answer. Read more The VP debate showed us who Mike Pence and Kamala Harris really are Harris lands punches on Pence over Trumps record in only VP debate Mike Pence wont say if Trump will accept election defeat peacefully Trump in his tweet said ``we should have the small remaining number of our BRAVE Men and Women serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas'' Afghanistan's Taliban on Thursday welcomed a tweet from President Donald Trump in which he promised to have the last of the US's troops out of Afghanistan by Christmas. If that withdrawal happens, it would be months ahead of schedule and the tweet made no reference to a Taliban promise to fight terrorist groups _ a previous pre-requisite for an American withdrawal. America's exit from Afghanistan after 19 years was laid out in an agreement Washington reached with the Taliban in February. However, that agreement said US troops would be out of Afghanistan in 18 months provided the Taliban honored a commitment to fight terrorist groups, with most attention seemingly focused on the Islamic State group affiliate in the country. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said Trump's statement was welcome and he considered it a positive step for the implementation of the peace agreement between the US and the Taliban. The Taliban are ``committed to the contents of the agreement and hopes for good and positive relations with all countries, including the U.S, in the future,'' he said. Trump's surprise tweet late Wednesday came as the Taliban and the Afghan government-appointed negotiation team held historic peace talks in Doha in Qatar. Those talks have been painfully slow as both sides have become bogged down on the intricacies of how they would go forward with reaching an agreement. Weeks have been spent discussing Islamic jurisprudence and how it will impact negotiations. Still, both sides have stayed at the negotiation table even as Washington's peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad last week returned to the region. Little information of substance has emerged from the talks. Trump in his tweet said ``we should have the small remaining number of our BRAVE Men and Women serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas.'' The Taliban have never detailed the commitments they made in the peace agreement with the US and Washington has refused to give details, citing security concerns. Even as Afghans meet in Doha to map out what a post-war Afghanistan might look like, Washington and NATO have already begun reducing their troops strength. Washington is now down to 8,600 troops from an estimated 13,000 when it signed the agreement with the Taliban in February. Trump's comments caught most Afghan observers by surprise and the Afghan government did not immediately respond to to the tweet. This is not the first time Trump has undercut the Pentagon with announcements about troop strength in Afghanistan. He previously has publicly announced American troop strength without vetting by the Pentagon, which has not yet responded to Trump's tweet. Trump has long promised to end US involvement in Afghanistan and the agreement with the Taliban does not require the two Afghan sides to reach a deal before Washington withdraws. Search Keywords: Short link: The Iranian president is concerned by the escalation in the conflict, the worst in decades. The urgent need to restore stability. Appeals for truce also from Russia, the United States and Europe. Heavy bombardments on Stepanakert overnight. Half of Nagorno-Karabakh's population is displaced, 90% are women and children. Tehran (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan risks leading to a large-scale conflict, which could involve various actors in the Middle East region, warns Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. The head of state was commenting on the intensification in clashes between the two neighboring countries in recent days following a series of heavy bombings in Nagorno-Karabakh. He says stability must be restored to put an end to the worst clashes of recent decades. "We must be attentive that the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan does not become a regional war," President Rouhani said on Wednesday. "Peace is the basis of our work and we hope to restore stability to the region in a peaceful way," he added. President Rouhani also said it was "totally unacceptable" for any stray shells and missiles to land on Iranian soil. Rouhani's words are linked to reports of rockets and mortars that fell near some villages along the northern border, which separates the Islamic Republic from Armenia and Azerbaijan. "Our priority - he assured - is to guarantee the protection of cities and villages". Yesterday Russian President Vladimir Putin - a military ally with Yerevan, while nurturing solid relations with the Baku government - called for an end to the fighting, which he calls "a tragedy" for everyone. Condemnation of the ongoing clashes and appeals for detente also come from the governments of the United States and Europe, but so far there are no signs of an easing in the conflict. On the contrary, during the night there were heavy bombings in Stepanakert - the capital of the self-proclaimed republic of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh for the Armenians) - which began at 9 pm and continued until 5 am local time. Sirens sounded at regular intervals, followed by loud explosions. At the moment there is no definite news of the damage, human and material. Local authorities speak of "indiscriminate bombing" by Azerbaijani forces on urban centers. The violence in recent weeks has caused at least half of the inhabitants of Nagorno-Karabakh to flee their homes. To date, the official toll speaks of 300 dead, of which over 50 civilians; however, the number could be far greater with both warring sides claiming the killing of "thousands" of enemy soldiers. According to unofficial estimates, half of the enclave's population is displaced; 90% are women and children. According to Artak Belgarian, mediator of the self-proclaimed Republic, their number is around 70-75 thousand, out of a total of 140 thousand. When I was growing up on the edge of Detroit, a visit to the cider mill wasnt so much an outing as a way to mark time. You went back to school, the weather cooled, and you went on a field trip to the cider mill. Or you went with your parents, maybe a couple of friends, on the weekend. If you were lucky, it was a crunchy fall day a gentle day when you could go without a jacket and romp in some crisp leaves but just as often itd be soggy and damp, the kind of day that left you with mud on your shoes and chill in your bones. 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. A Maryland driver thought they spotted a Halloween decoration, but instead discovered a body, reports said. Baltimore County police said in a Wednesday news release they are investigating a homicide after a passerby found a body lying in the parking lot of a former inn. Detectives are in the early stages of this investigation but are able to confirm that there appears to be an undetermined type of trauma to the body, police said. Homicide detectives are asking anyone who may have seen or heard anything out of the ordinary overnight or who may have additional information to contact Crime Stoppers. Local news outlets reported that the passerby originally thought the body was a Halloween decoration, according to WBAL TV. The body was reportedly lying in the corner of the lot under overgrown trees and shrubs, The Baltimore Sun reported. Police havent released further information. The holiday season is approaching, and the N.W.T's Chief Public Health Officer Kami Kandola says there is no promise the required 14 day isolation period will be lowered by December. Across the territory, it now takes less than a day and a half to get COVID-19 test results, but as cases spike in southern Canada, Kandola plans to stay the path of caution. "The level of infection we are now seeing is putting us on a trajectory toward the worst case scenario the federal government modelled over the summer. There is every reason for us to be vigilant," she said Wednesday. Kandola still recommends avoiding non-essential travel outside the territory. "I have to stress this recommendation will come even stronger now. We're on the upswing of a second wave. People have to make that decision if they're going to travel out," she said. Testing backlog cleared Kandola said improved testing has cleared a "small" backlog, enabling people to go back to their lives a little bit sooner. She acknowledged that slow testing times might have "made it a tough choice for folks to call their local health-care professionals" to get assessed. With quicker testing, Kandola says people with symptoms of COVID-19 should contact their health centre because it's one of the territory's best defences. Kandola also reinforced the necessity of getting the flu shot for people of all ages, to reduce the number of days missed from school or work. Is the N.W.T. ready for an influx of Christmas travellers? Kandola said the COVID-19 secretariat and Protect NWT, an enforcement hotline for COVID-19 public health rules, will be prepared for people isolating in regional centres. "We would develop a capacity but we anticipate there will be a large volume of people coming in and out," she said. Kandola said that travellers should be taking precautions, including physical distancing, frequent sanitization, wearing masks on the plane and completing the mandatory 14-day isolation. Story continues Kandola said she's confident in the territory's ability to manage a large number of travellers, and pointed to the summer, when the territory was able to handle an influx of teachers. Since March, the territory has processed 21,000 self-isolation plans. Asked whether the N.W.T. was prepared for a chunk of its labour force to be at home isolating at the same time in January, Kandola said travel is a personal choice. "Employers need to be figuring out coverage and disruptions, but if the current model is continuing this way ... there is going to be an increased number of cases and so we just need to be prepared for imported cases from Christmas returnees," she said. Bigger travel bubble? Kandola said she would consider a bubble with Atlantic Canada but not the Yukon. "We would be open in discussing and exploring this further," she said. The four eastern provinces have been able to keep cases in their region at bay. Kandola reached out to officials in the Maritimes, but an N.W.T.-Atlantic bubble will require meeting with multiple levels of government. Yukon is bubbled with B.C., which has flattened the curve but has zero restrictions on travellers from Alberta. "As long as Yukon has a bubble with B.C. and in addition having the Alaska highway coming through with an increase in cases in Alaska ... that's not a proposition we can look at," she said. Kandola said the risk of opening the N.W.T. to its neighbour is simply too high and that the N.W.T.'s vigilance has kept it safe. "That isn't luck, it's because ... we took strong action early to take control of our situation," she said. If the ongoing strike of oil workers in Norway extends for another week without a resolution, nearly 25 percent of Norways oil and gas production could be shut down, including output at the giant Johan Sverdrup oilfield, the Norwegian Oil and Gas Association (NOG) said on Thursday. The association is at odds with the Lederne union, which has refused to accept a new pay deal for offshore workers, while two other unions - representing 85 percent of the offshore workforce - have accepted the deal. Lederne began a strike on September 30, and escalated it on October 4, resulting in the shut-in of 8 percent of Norways oil and gas production, or 330,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), some 60 percent of which is gas. The strike shut down four fields operated by Equinor in the North Sea, the Norwegian giant said on Monday, noting that production at the giant oilfield Johan Sverdrup continues for the present. A total of 43 members of the Lederne trade union have been on strike at Johan Sverdrup since the middle of last week. Lederne said on Thursday it would extend the strike from October 11 if the dispute continues, the Norwegian Oil and Gas Association said today, noting that in case of extension of the strike, more oilfields operated by Equinor will have to shut down, including the giant Johan Sverdup oilfield, as well as fields operated by ConocoPhillips and Wintershall Dea Norge. Related: The Geopolitical Power Of The Shale Revolution Is Fading If the ongoing strike on the Norwegian continental shelf continues until 14 October, the Johan Sverdrup field in the North Sea will have to close production until further notice, Equinor said on Wednesday, noting that this is due to the scheduled rotation of personnel as there would not be sufficient capacity and competence in key operational functions. We hope that in the intervening period there may be a settlement between The Norwegian Oil and Gas Association and the union, Equinor said. If the strike continues past 14 October, the loss of daily production would thereby total 966 000 barrels of oil equivalent, or nearly a quarter of Norwegian oil and gas production, the Norwegian Oil and Gas Association said on Thursday. By Josh Owens for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Thousands attended the funeral of Altaf Hussain who fell to the militants bullets while foiling an attempt on life of a local BJP leader Three separatist militants were killed in a 20-hour-long gunfight with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmirs southern Shopian district, the authorities said here on Wednesday. They said that all the slain men were local Kashmiris and identified them as Sajad Ahmad Malla, Junaid Rashid Wani and Waseem Ahmad Magray. While Malla was associated with Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, the two others were Al-Badar cadres- all part of groups involved in planning and executing several terror attacks on security forces establishments and inflicting atrocities on civilians, the police said. Meanwhile, a large number of mourners attended the funeral of a J&K policeman Altaf Hussain who fell to the militants bullets while foiling an attempt on the life of a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader in central district of Ganderbal on Tuesday night. One of the two or three assailants was also killed in the PSOs retaliatory fire, the police said. The officials said that fighting broke out in Shopians Sugan area late Tuesday evening after the J&K polices counterinsurgency Special Operations Group (SOG) with the Armys 44 Rashtriya Rifles and the 178th Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) laid siege to it to conduct a search operation. A police spokesman here said that the militants holed up in a private house during the cordon-and-search operation at Sugan were asked to lay down their arms and surrender before the security forces but they preferred to fight. During the search operation, as the presence of terrorists got ascertained they were given the opportunity to surrender. However, they instead fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which was retaliated leading to an encounter, the spokesman said. He said that the operation was suspended in view of the darkness but the whole area was put under strict cordon. Terrorists trapped inside made certain attempts to break the cordon and escape from the spot. In the wee hours, the operation was resumed and in the ensuing encounter three terrorists were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of the encounter, the police added. Meanwhile, DGP Dilbag Singh said here on Wednesday that the militant who was killed in the retaliatory fire of the PSOs of BJP second-rung leader Ghulam Qadir in Nunar area of Ganderbal was a close associate of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Reyaz Naikoo. He identified him as Shabir Ahmed Shah, a resident of southern Pulwama. Naikoo was killed in a fire fight with the security forces in his home district Pulwama earlier this year. He said that the BJP leader was targeted by militants while he was leaving his ancestral home for a safe cluster accommodation in the neighbouring Kangan area. A police statement added, The terrorist fired indiscriminately upon the protected person. However, his PSOs namely Altaf Hussain and Jahangir Ahmad exhibited a highly professional conduct by quickly retaliating against the terrorists and saved the life of the protected person thereby fulfilling their professional commitments. It added, The exemplary valiant act of the accompanying security officials resulted in the killing of an active terrorist on the spot thereby defeating the purpose of terrorist without caring for their own lives. Constable Hussain was, however, grievously injured in the exchange of fire and succumbed on the way to a hospital in Srinagar. Mr. Singh and several other senior officers of the J&K police and other security forces attended the wreath laying ceremony for the slain cop held here on Wednesday. Later a large number of people including relatives, neighbours and friends of Mr. Hussain attended his funeral procession taken out through Srinagars Ganderpora Idgah locality where he lived with his wife, minor son and parents. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. The Foreign Ministry of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) issued a statement over the Azerbaijani striking against Shushis Ghazanchetsots Cathedral. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Artsakh, the statement runs as follows, We strongly condemn the attack by the Azerbaijani armed forces on the Armenian Church of the Holy All-Savior (Ghazanchetsots), located in the city of Shushi of the Republic of Artsakh. We remind the Azerbaijani side that making historic monuments, works of art or places of worship which constitute the cultural or spiritual heritage of peoples the object of attack manifests serious violation of both treaty and customary international humanitarian law, and destruction of cultural monuments as part of the conduct of hostilities constitutes a war crime. The deliberate destruction of historical, cultural and religious sites is a characteristic and notorious signature of international terrorist organizations. Suffice it to recall the destruction of the Buddha statues of Bamiyan by the Taliban, as well as the destruction of the Monumental Arch in Palmyra and the Armenian Church of Holy Martyrs in Deir ez-Zor by ISIS fighters in Syria. The attack on the Church of the Holy All-Savior in the city of Shushi demonstrates that the criminal triple alliance of Azerbaijan, Turkey and terrorist organizations, which unleashed an aggression against the Republic of Artsakh, are united not only by common goals, but also by a common system of values and criminal methods of warfare. We reiterate, that the preservation of the cultural heritage is of great importance for all peoples of the world and damage to cultural property belonging to any people whatsoever means damage to the cultural heritage of all mankind. Along with adoption of numerous international conventions on the protection of cultural and historical heritage, the issue was also addressed at the level of the UN Security Council, which in its Resolution (No. 2347) on the inadmissibility of destruction of cultural property in the event of armed conflicts, notably by terrorist groups, called on all States to make collective and co-ordinated efforts to combat such practices. We once again emphasize that under the circumstances of Azerbaijans open denial of the principles of humanity and universal values, the international recognition of the independence of the Republic of Artsakh is the most effective way to ensure the security of the people of Artsakh, the realization of their fundamental rights and the preservation of Artsakhs cultural heritage. Marion Crowe, CEO, First Nations Health Managers Association Marion Crowe, CEO, First Nations Health Managers Association Ottawa, Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Elevate your organization and reach at the 2020 First Nations Health Managers Association (FNHMA) Virtual Celebration with exclusive media and advertising opportunities through Indigenous Health Today! We will also acknowledge the contribution of individuals and organizations who recognize the importance of celebrating ALL health workers across the country for their tremendous contributions during these difficult times. Add your voice to this powerful group by becoming a sponsor today! The FNHMA Virtual Celebration on November 4th will prove to be one of the countrys largest Indigenous outreach campaigns of 2020. Take this opportunity to showcase your support to health professionals across the Nation. FNHMA will be thanking, honouring and celebrating all health workers and NEWLY Certified First Nations Health Managers (CFNHM) during a virtual celebration on Wednesday, November 4, 2020 on www.IHtoday.ca (IHT) from 1:00pm 4:00pm, EST. Support our communities and health care workers across the country by signing up today as a sponsor! FNHMA has proven through its achievements of the past ten years that it is the leader in developing solutions and generating positive results for First Nation Communities across the country in health. From the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, FNHMA became the leading national First Nation organization providing reliable information and support for health managers, government offices, national and regional First Nation groups and communities. FNHMA is at the frontier of providing leadership in First Nations health management activities by developing and promoting quality standards, practices, research, certification, networking and professional development to expand capacity for their members and First Nations communities. This event and exclusive marketing experience has made the shift to virtual with the help of the technologies that Indigenous Health Today utilizes every day to connect and engage the public on Indigenous health related matters across the nation. Story continues To make this the best experience possible for your organization, with lasting results, we have put together exclusive packages that will give you sustained visibility and create connections during the event. All packages have been enhanced with the following digital marketing benefits that will promote the support of your organization for the FNHMA Virtual Celebration with IHTs 15,000+ Indigenous community and business leaders, 600+ First Nation communities, and the nationwide online community of health professionals. All promotional tools needed are created by IHToday.ca to execute maximum exposure. Your logo will be included in tools such as: Pitch documents Video and audio public service announcements (PSAs) Full graphics development of banners and posters, for web and social media use With thousands of PSA and paid radio spots on over 100 radio and television stations, major print ads on key Indigenous print outlets, digital support from all media partners that includes the use of web banners, digital posters for social media use and a substantial number of TV PSA /paid ads on APTN nationally. This advertising combined with simulcasts via FNHMAs media partner's Facebook pages and rebroadcasts on those stations will deliver an unprecedented reach to a targeted Indigenous audience while also appealing to a mainstream audience. Included and exclusive to the event, the marketing plan includes a PR campaign to Indigenous and mainstream media designed to create significant awareness for the Celebration and to achieve numerous national media interviews done by FNHMA CEO, Marion Crowe. Key media outlets you will gain coverage on: APTN National TV network | NCI Radio network - 56 stations in Manitoba | MBC Radio - 69 stations in Saskatchewan and Quebec | CKLB FM Yellowknife | Windspeaker radio (CFWE, CJWE) Alberta | ELMNT FM - Ottawa/Toronto | Wolf 95.7 Fredericton | Alberta Native News | Miq Mak Maliseet News Eastern Canada | Eagle Feather News Saskatchewan | Nation News Quebec | Wawatay News Northern Ontario | First Nations Drum BC and Eastern issues | NNSL - News North | These media partners and other secondary Indigenous outlets are committed to run PSAs, to use the banners/posters, to post and link to the live stream. Add your voice to this powerful group by becoming a sponsor today! Please contact us today to discuss the opportunity that you wish to secure. Thank you in advance for your support of ALL health care workers! About FNHMA The FNHMA provides leadership in First Nations health management activities by developing and promoting quality standards, practices, research, certification, networking and professional development to expand capacity for our members and First Nations communities. For more information on the Virtual Celebration go to www.fnhma.ca For sponsor opportunities email George Rogerson at: conference@fnhma.ca or call: 1-866-775-1816 For media requests with FNHMA, CEO Marion Crowe please contact Kelsey Thompson, Executive Coordinator at Kelsey.Thompson@fnhma.ca Attachment CONTACT: Kelsey Thompson First Nations Health Managers Association 613-599-6070 kelsey.thompson@fnhma.ca 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. Watch: Adam Sandler talks to Yahoo about his new Netflix film Hubie Halloween As we mentioned last year, Adam Sandler can do no wrong when he tries his hand at drama. His 2019 effort, the anxiety-riddled thriller Uncut Gems, was his best performance yet even though, as Kathy Bates will tell you, he was robbed of an Oscar nomination. Big Broad Comedy, though, has always been the Saturday Night Live alums bread and butter, and hes right back in his comfort zone ducking flying objects and screaming on toilets in his latest Netflix joint, Hubie Halloween. The star-studded horror-infused comedy has Sandler playing a stunted good Samaritan attempting to protect his hometown of Salem, Massachusetts, from a killer on the loose. I dont even think about it as much as you think I should, Sandler told us in a recent virtual interview about balancing genres (watch above). I like comedies, I like making em. When I make these other movies, man, I dive in deep and I love it. And Ive got young kids, and I like when they watch movies at home and laugh, so I like trying make stuff like that, too. Read more: Everything coming to Netflix in October I work my a** off trying to make sure were putting enough jokes in there and having the story make sense. Adam Sandler in Hubie Halloween. (Netflix) Hubie, as you might imagine, provided a less stressful filmmaking experience for the 54-year-old actor than Gems, in which he delivered an agonising turn as the desperate New York City jeweller and gambling addict Howard Ratner. When youre hanging out in the trailer before a take on Hubie Halloween, youre not quite as nervous and in as deep thought as much as Howard Ratner, Sandler said. Co-starring the likes of Julie Bowen, Maya Rudolph, Tim Meadows, Kevin James, Steve Buscemi and June Squibb, Hubie Halloween is dedicated to the memory of Cameron Boyce, the beloved Jessie and Descendants actor who died at the age of 20 in July 2019, after complications related to epilepsy. Cameron Boyce and Adam Sandler in 'Grown Ups' (Sony) Boyce, who had previously played Sandlers spoiled son Keith in Grown Ups (2010) and Grown Ups 2 (2013), had originally been cast in the film as a young deli worker who antagonises Hubie. After Boyces death, his part was recast with his close friend Karan Brar. Story continues He was supposed to come to do the movie maybe two days after [he died]. He was getting on a plane to come shoot our movie, Sandler says. That was devastating news for his family and for all of us. He was just a nice kid. When he was in Grown-Ups as a kid, he was just carefree, happy, funny, all the other kids loved him. All the comedians would walk away like, Man, that kid said a funny line earlier. He was just sharp. Watch: Hubie Halloween pays tribute to Cameron Boyce The whole Sandler family were fans of Boyce, especially Adams daughters Sadie and Sunny, who both also appear in Hubie Halloween. My kids loved him. He was always great to my family. Cameron came to my daughters bat mitzvah three months before he passed away and every one of my daughters friends was coming up to him, and he took the time and talked to everybody, and signed autographs and took pictures with them. He was just a great kid, and everybody misses him. Hubie Halloween is now streaming on Netflix. Watch the Hubie Halloween trailer: -Video produced by Jen Kucsak Activists are decrying what they consider to be excessive force used in the arrest of Deya Stallings. Warning: This article contains imagery and video you may find unnerving or triggering. Activists in Kansas City, Missouri are decrying what they consider to be excessive force used in the arrest of a pregnant Black woman. Kansas City Police allege that Deja Stallings, 25, tried to prevent authorities from arresting a local activist named Troy Robertson by grabbing an officer and trying to pull Robertson away from them. Kansas City activists are decrying what theyre calling the excessive force used in the arrest of Deja Stallings, 25, a pregnant Black woman. A pregnant Stallings was arrested on Sept. 30 outside of a local gas station after a security guard called police, claiming a fight had broken out in the parking lot. The guard reportedly said there were 15-20 individuals fighting on the businesss property. CNN is reporting that a witness to the arrest said that the gathering was organized by a local Black activist who was releasing balloons to honor a victim of violence. In the disturbing video, a white Kansas City Police officer is seen pushing his knee in Stallings back. The woman, who is visibly pregnant, is being pinned to the ground. Witnesses nearby are voicing their concerns as another officer yells at them to stand back. According to the Atlanta Black Star, Stallings attorney, Stacy Shaw, said her nine-months-pregnant client went to a hospital after the arrest and has needed medical care on and off since. Stallings has been issued a municipal summons for hindering an arrest. Read More: Jonathan Price offered handshake to Texas police officer before fatal shooting The most recent act of brutality of a pregnant woman, an unborn child, is yet another example of the culture of brutality, callousness and disregard for the citizens of our community, Kevin Woolfolk of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference told NBC 12. This cannot and will not be dismissed, this double assault on humanity, said Rev. Rodney Williams, president of the Kansas City NAACP chapter, told the outlet. Story continues Kansas City protesters are calling for the police department to be defunded at a rate of 50% and want that money redirected to social services for its Black community. Have you subscribed to theGrios Dear Culture podcast? Download our newest episodes now! TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. Download theGrio.today! The post Kansas City cop kneels on pregnant Black womans back during arrest appeared first on TheGrio. STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. The bombardment of the Holy Savior Cathedral, also known as Ghazanchetsots, in Shushi is the signature of the Islamic State terrorist organization, Prelate of the Diocese of Artsakh of the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan told ARMENPRESS. Ghazanchetsots is the seat of the Diocese of Artsakh of the Armenian Apostolic Church. They are bombarding our spiritual values, when we, are restoring and preserving mosques, the Archbishop told ARMENPRESS. The iconic Ghazanchetsots Cathedral suffered heavy damages when it came under direct bombardment attack by the Azerbaijani forces on October 8. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Netherlands reported 3,011 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, a daily record, as it imposed new measures to combat a second wave of infections, data published by the National Institute for Health (RIVM) showed. "The number of cases rose sharply in almost all regions and in all age groups," the Institute said. (Reporting by Anthony Deutsch and Toby Sterling; Editing by Andrew Heavens) Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws 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 Washington: A defiant US President Donald Trump on Friday denounced as disgraceful an appellate courts decision blocking his controversial ban on refugees and nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries. Referring to a portion of an article written on the national security blog Lawfare, which highlights a statute that the author says the judges failed to cite, Trump tweeted: LAWFARE: Remarkably, in the entire opinion, the panel did not bother even to cite this (the) statute. A disgraceful decision! Lawfare is a legal blog that covers the intersection of national security and the legal world. Its website reads that it is published in cooperation with the Brookings Institution, a well-known Washington think tank, Politico reported. The post-Trump referred to breaks down the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling upholding a stay on the presidents executive order temporarily banning individuals from certain majority-Muslim nations from entering the US. Benjamin Wittes, who wrote the article and is the editor-in-chief of Lawfare, swiftly responded to Trumps tweet, saying he supports the courts decision and urged the public to read his full blog post. You decide whether the POTUS is quoting me in context. Heres the article. For the record, I support the decision, Wittes tweeted, including a link to his article. The White House has vowed to continue to fight for the orders and has expressed confidence that they will ultimately be upheld in court, but todays ruling keeps them out of effect, at least for the time being. Trump, after Fridays court decision, took to Twitter and said the court ruling was a political decision and he looked forward to pursuing a legal challenge. A three-judge panel ruled earlier in the day not to grant a stay that would have reinstated Trump's controversial immigration order to temporarily halt immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries in the Middle East and Africa and temporarily shut down the refugee programme. We hold that the Government has not shown a likelihood of success on the merits of its appeal, nor has it shown that failure to enter a stay would cause irreparable injury, and we therefore deny its emergency motion for a stay, the panel, from the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, wrote in the decision. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. President Trump on Thursday attacked two of his closest associates for not doing enough to bring down his political opponents, as he continues to pursue his obsession with the 2016 election. In a wide-ranging, 55-minute interview with Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, Trump criticized Attorney General William Barr for not arresting enough Democrats and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for not finding Hillary Clintons emails from her tenure as secretary of state, which the president believes are somewhere inside the State Department. Theyre in the State Department, but Mike Pompeo has been unable to get them out, which is very sad, actually, Trump said. Im not happy about him for that reason. He was unable to get them out. I dont know why. Youre running the State Department, you get them out. In addition, he attacked FBI Director Christopher Wray for not investigating his claims of widespread voter fraud. The live telephone interview was the presidents first since his release from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he was treated after falling ill from the coronavirus. Trump said Wray wasnt doing his job by failing to investigate voter fraud after the FBI director said there is no evidence to substantiate the presidents obsession with the issue, which election officials unanimously agree is not a problem in national elections. Hes been disappointing, Trump said. He doesnt see the voting ballots as a problem. Last month, Wray told Congress that the bureau has not seen, historically, any kind of coordinated national voter fraud effort in a major election, whether its by mail or otherwise. President Trump, Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: AP, Bill Pugliano/Getty Images) And in his sharpest criticism of Barr to date, Trump said that history would look poorly on the attorney general if he fails to prosecute Clinton and other members of the Obama administration for alleged crimes, including spying on his 2016 campaign. Members of the Trump campaign were investigated by the FBI over allegations of suspicious ties to Russia, an investigation that morphed into the probe by special counsel Robert Mueller. Mueller found no evidence of collusion between the campaign and Russia. There is no evidence in the public record to show that the Obama administration was gathering intelligence on Trump or that it used any information gathered by the FBI to help the Clinton campaign. Story continues Bill Barr is going to go down as either the greatest attorney general in the history of the country or hes going to go down as, you know, a very sad situation, Trump said. Ill be honest with you. Hes got all the information he needs. They want to get more, more, more. They keep getting more. I said, You dont need any more. Last year, Barr tapped U.S. Attorney John Durham to investigate the origins of the 2016 FBI investigation. There has been no indication from the Justice Department as to when findings of the probe will be unveiled. In a flurry of tweets and retweets Wednesday, Trump wondered aloud about the status of the investigation. Where are all of the arrests? he tweeted. Can you imagine if the roles were reversed? Long term sentences would have started two years ago. Shameful! NOW THAT THE RADICAL LEFT DEMOCRATS GOT COUGHT [sic] COLD IN THE (NON) FRIENDLY TRANSFER OF GOVERNMENT, IN FACT, THEY SPIED ON MY CAMPAIGN AND WENT FOR A COUP, WE ARE ENTITLED TO ASK THE VOTERS FOR FOUR MORE YEARS, Trump continued. PLEASE REMEMBER THIS WHEN YOU VOTE! DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS, the president fumed in another tweet. THE BIGGEST OF ALL POLITICAL SCANDALS (IN HISTORY)!!! BIDEN, OBAMA AND CROOKED HILLARY LED THIS TREASONOUS PLOT!!! BIDEN SHOULDNT BE ALLOWED TO RUN - GOT CAUGHT!!! ___ Read more from Yahoo News: South Africa: Thousands of weapons destroyed in PE Thousands of dangerous weapons have been destroyed at a smelter in the Nelson Mandela Bay District. Eastern Cape MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison, Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe, joined the Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Liziwe Ntshinga, to witness the destruction of the weapons today. The destruction took place today at Agni Steel, located at the Coega Industrial Development Zone. Our resolve to reduce the levels of serious crime generators and proliferation of dangerous weapons resulted in a resounding success when 14 254 dangerous weapons, including knives, spears and axes, together with 354 toy pistols and homemade firearms, as well as 204 air rifles and pistols were seized from within all the clusters. These dangerous weapons were seized by police officials at roadblocks, special operations, routine stop and searches, liquor outlets and intensive searches in hotspot areas across the Eastern Cape from 1 October 2019 to 31 January 2020. From the numbers confiscated, it is clear that the proliferation of dangerous weapons was dealt a significant blow. The destruction of these weapons will definitely ensure that they will never again be in circulation, the South African Police Service said. - SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-10-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 20:56:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TIANJIN, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Foreign trade of Binhai New Area of north China's port city of Tianjin rose 6.5 percent to 354.12 billion yuan (about 52.2 billion U.S. dollars) in the first eight months of this year, local authorities said. During the period, Binhai's exports reached 119.43 billion yuan, up 13.7 percent year on year, while its imports totaled 234.69 billion yuan, up 3.2 percent, according to Tianjin customs. In August alone, the area's imports and exports reached 47.88 billion yuan, up 16 percent year on year. During the January-August period, the European Union, ASEAN, the United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan were the top five trading partners of Binhai New Area. Enditem The Spanish Health Ministry on Wednesday reported 10,491 new coronavirus infections and 76 Covid-19-related fatalities. The figures represent a marked fall compared to the previous days, in particular in terms of victims. On Tuesday, the governments data showed 261 coronavirus deaths, the highest daily figure so far in this second wave of the health crisis. Yesterday, however, there were roughly 200 fewer. This abrupt change in the numbers is due to the data from the Madrid region. While on Tuesday it reported 126 deaths, on Wednesday the figure was just six. Madrid went from the highest number of victims in the second wave one day, to the lowest figure since September 11 the next. Over the past week, the number of deaths in Madrid came in at between 20% and 30% of the national total. On Tuesday they accounted for 48%, but on Wednesday just 7%. The changeable data from Madrid is also there to see in the 14-day cumulative number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants. This data point has fallen sharply to 591, having been at 735 one week ago, 586 on Monday and 710 on Tuesday. This indicator is of key importance, because, among other reasons, it is one of those being used by the Health Ministry and the countrys regional governments as a trigger to introduce further restrictions, such as those currently in place in 10 Madrid cities including the Spanish capital. The data from Madrid has been a point of conflict in recent days between the central government and the regional administration. Health Minister Salvador Illa and Fernando Simon, the director of the Health Ministrys Coordination Center for Health Alerts (CCAES), expressed doubts about the fall in infections in the region that was shown by Mondays report. The Madrid government responded by attacking the ministry for the comments and defending the accuracy of its reporting. On Wednesday, while speaking in the Senate, Illa stated that his intention was not to doubt the data from Madrid. An analysis of the new cases notified i.e. those that Madrid reports to the Health Ministry every day, independently of when they were diagnosed shows a flattening and slight fall of the curve, reflecting a genuine improvement of the situation in the region. The rates of hospital bed occupation by coronavirus patients are also falling. The new cases registered on a national level continue to move within a range similar to that seen in recent weeks, between 9,000 and 12,000 a day. The trend is worsening in Andalusia, which has just implemented a perimetral confinement of the Linares municipality in Jaen. The Andalusia region has reported 2,046 new cases, 400 more than on Tuesday and nearly a thousand more than a week ago. However, the 14-day cumulative number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants continues to be well below the national average: in Andalusia, that figure is 166, and in Spain, it is 257. Navarre worst hit According to Wednesdays report, Navarre has now overtaken Madrid as the region with the highest 14-day cumulative number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants, at 648. The other regions with the worst indicator are La Rioja (394), Castilla y Leon (382) and Castilla-La Mancha (362). On the other side of the scale are the Canary Islands (97), Valencia (100) and Galicia (104). The favorable situation in the latter region has not stopped the government there from taking localized action in areas where infections are on the rise: a perimetral confinement has just been implemented in Ourense, which is the third-biggest city in Galicia. In Spain as a whole, 826 more people have been hospitalized with coronavirus, according to Thursdays report, while 88 have been admitted into intensive care units (ICUs). Madrid hospitals currently have the highest number of ICU patients with coronavirus, occupying 40.3% of available ICU beds. This indicator is slowly falling in the region, having come in at 42% a week ago. In total, there have been 835,901 confirmed coronavirus infections in Spain since the health crisis began, and 32,562 official victims. But this does not include the thousands of undiagnosed fatalities from the first wave. According to data from Spains civil registries, there have been 53,000 excess deaths in the country between March and September. English version by Simon Hunter. Fighting between Myanmars military and the Arakan Army has produced 226,804 refugees. Despite travel restrictions linked to the pandemic, people are fleeing the violence. The military pledges no ceasefire against "terrorists". NGOs are unable to bring aid. Sittwe (AsiaNews/Agencies) More than 36,000 people have been displaced in Rakhine state as a result of recent fighting between the Myanmar military and the mostly Buddhist Arakan Army (Aa), the Rakhine Ethnic Congress, a Myanmar-based monitoring NGO, reported. The conflict, which goes back several years, saw 22,000 people displaced in the month of September alone. By the end of September, the full number of displaced people reached 226,804. The AA, which a few years ago also battled against the Rohingya, is fighting for the autonomy of its homeland, located in the north-west of the country, on the border with Bangladesh. According to certain sources, the civilian population has been caught between the need to flee because of the fighting, in particular the militarys shelling, and the requirement to stay home to avoid contacts due to the COVID-19 epidemic. The government continues to recommend staying indoors, wearing masks and upholding social distancing of two metres, but this is impossible in refugee camps, where displaced people have found shelter. In recent weeks, the townships of Kyauktaw, Rathedaung and Buthidaung have been the worst affected along with the area around the Kaladan River. By and large, people fled to Sittwe. To reduce the fighting during the pandemic, the military has declared a ceasefire in several parts of the country, but has excluded Rakhine where it claims it is fighting terrorists. Meanwhile, the pandemic is worsening the situation for the displaced. Due to health restrictions on travel, humanitarian organisations cannot move freely, making it harder to provide aid to refugees. 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. A girl reads Cece Bell's "El Deafo" inside Chevalier's Books, a Larchmont Village bookstore that recently sent readers an urgent email. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) Another beloved Los Angeles bookstore is in trouble. Chevalier's Books, an 80-year-old independent bookstore located in Larchmont Village, sent some 3,000 readers an email Monday calling on them for increased support. When COVID-19 led to a general shutdown in March, "like most retailers, our sales fell about 40%," wrote owners Bert Deixler and Darryl Holter. "A [Paycheck Protection Program] loan, a dedicated staff and loyal customers kept us just afloat." Then came another hardship. "[O]ur new landlords announced we would not be able to extend our lease and required us to be out of this space by the end of the year. "So, Chevaliers Books is now at a crossroads. Weve located a vacant space on Larchmont that could be a new home for us, but the rent there will be more than double what we currently pay. There will also be significant moving and design costs. It will be a huge financial undertaking for us, made even more daunting by the uncertainty that Covid-19 poses for our business and everybodys lives," they wrote in the letter. "We are now asking you to help keep Chevaliers Books a part of the Larchmont community." The Hancock Park shop joins a growing list of independent bookstores asking for financial help from their customers. Some like Hollywood's Larry Edmunds Bookshop and Diesel, A Bookstore launched GoFundMes to help keep their businesses alive as the novel coronavirus continued to impact sales. Others, like Vroman's Bookstore and now Chevalier's, are urging readers to keep buying from them, especially as the holiday season approaches. These two bookstores are the latest to make urgent community appeals in order to stave off grave losses. The end of Chevalier's lease has added another stressor to the Larchmont bookstore: Along with other businesses in the building on Larchmont Boulevard, they have to vacate by Dec. 31. The reason? The commercial real estate developers who own the property the bookstore has leased for decades decided to "turn the space into a more upscale setting and try to attract national chains," according to Deixler, who is also a lawyer. Half of the spaces have already been vacated, he said. Story continues That's not the whole picture, according to Lawrence N. Taylor, president and founder of Christina Development, which owns the building. "The previous owner of the property set all tenant leases to expire at the end of 2020," Taylor told The Times in an email. "This decision was intentional so the building could undergo necessary repairs, which are long overdue." The company wanted to keep businesses running during the restoration, he said, but that "the noise and disturbances" would be too disruptive to tenants. "We welcome and encourage all existing tenants to return to the building and will initiate those conversations once we have a firm date for completion," he said, adding that he still expects the storefronts to be occupied by "smaller, neighborhood-friendly tenants." The announcement triggered Chevalier's desperate search for a new home on the same historic street with its small-town feel: In recent years, Larchmont Boulevard has been a battleground between small businesses and developers. A letter to our community. xoxo Chevalier's Books pic.twitter.com/KvN55TgaI1 Chevalier's Books (@ChevaliersBooks) October 5, 2020 Deixler and Holter purchased Chevalier's six years ago and transformed it into a neighborhood cultural hub. They remodeled the store, expanded their inventory, launched in-store readings and author events, and stabilized finances. We took it from a store that was really struggling and turned it around, Holter told The Times in April. We turned it into part of the intellectual infrastructure of the city in order to compete with Amazon and survive. Now the owners have their sights set on a larger, pricier location across the street. "We want to make sure that we have people who will support us to help us pay the rent by buying books," said Deixler. The open letter seems to have worked. "We're overrun with sales, we're selling gift certificates like crazy, and we have all these people offering to help us," he said. "The response has been overwhelming." Asked if he's optimistic, Deixler responded: "If [Monday] was any indication, I've never been more confident about anything in my life! ... We really want this to work. We really want to keep this store open. I always tell people that [buying Chevalier's] is easily the worst economic investment I've ever made in my life and I've made some bad investments but we've gotten so much pleasure out of serving a community." Last week, Vroman's made a similar public plea. (1/5) Friends, the past few months have been the most difficult in our companys 126-year history and Vromans needs your help to stay open. Here's how you can support your local indie! **A Thread** #Vromans #ShopVromans #ShopLocal #Indiebookstore #indpendentbookstore pic.twitter.com/lt8JAqCo7p Vroman's Bookstore (@vromans) September 28, 2020 On Sept. 28, the bookstore tweeted a thread to its 21,000 followers with a grim message: "Friends, the past few months have been the most difficult in our companys 126-year history and Vromans needs your help to stay open." Foot traffic and sales have steadily improved for months, but remain almost 40% below previous years because of the pandemic. If it is going to survive, according to its website, "sales must increase significantly from now through the holidays." Joel Sheldon, Vroman's chairman and a co-owner, said the past several years had been among the bookstore's most profitable, "and all of a sudden, you fall off a cliff." It was a cliff they had been confident they could quickly rescale perhaps overconfident. Their monthly projections weren't synchronizing with actual sales. "We were losing more cash than we had anticipated," Sheldon said. Cash reserves and a PPP loan have kept the store afloat into the coming holiday season. "But after that," he said, "nobody knows." So Sheldon, who grew up in Altadena and has been active in the Pasadena community for decades, decided to launch a "Support Vroman's" campaign. "[I]t is critical now that our sales volumes return to much higher levels," he wrote to about 50 friends and influencers in an email two weeks ago. "Up until now I have resisted asking for community support its a very humbling experience. But it is now time." Line to enter #Vromans bookstore! Excited to support literacy and literature advocats. pic.twitter.com/zd3jtVzD1Q Dalia Hernandez (@heredaliamaps) October 3, 2020 In the email, he implored bookworms and locals to buy from Vroman's and encourage others to do the same. He urged them to shop in October and November before the holiday rush, and to buy in-store on weekday mornings, which are quieter than weekends and afternoons. The message spread like wildfire. Sheldon said it reached at least 100,000 people through a contact's mailing list. "The store has been completely crowded almost all the time ever since," he said. "The parking lot and as many people as we can let in." Online purchases have also skyrocketed. On social media, people also began the #MyVromansStory, sharing personal anecdotes about what the bookstore means to them. "As an art student I went to the childrens dept to read books that would inspire me to become a childrens book author and illustrator," wrote Dan Santat, the New York Times bestselling author of "The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend," in a tweet. "This store is the center of our universe." Sheldon said sales at its Colorado Boulevard location increased 169% the week of Sept. 25 to Oct. 1 compared with the week before. But it's not out of the woods yet. Survival will hinge on the holiday season, a month that accounts for at least 20% of annual sales and contributes almost all the annual profit, he said. "The next few months will determine the future of Vromans," Sheldon's letter says. "I truly appreciate your friendship and support during this critical time." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Bengaluru: Infosys board member and Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw on Friday asserted that there has been no breach in corporate governance at the IT bellwether, but said there may be some judgement calls on which the board differed with the promoters. Reacting to Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthys explosive comments on dropping governance standards at the company, she said in future, the board would try to allay such concerns of the promoters. She also said the board is firmly behind Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka. As a board member, I would certainly say that there has been no breach in governance issues. Yes there may be judgement calls on which we differ with the promoters, but I think overtime we will try and see how we can allay these concerns that the promoters have in terms of the way the board conducts itself, she told a section of media here. Mazumdar-Shaw denied there was any breakdown in governance of the company, but conceded there have been concerns and issues expressed by Narayana Murthy and promoters. Personally, I dont believe that there are governance breakdowns. Yes, there have been concerns and issues expressed by Mr Murthy and promoters. I think these are more to do with perception issues rather than real breakdown of governance, she said. Murthy, in an interview with a business daily, had said that since June 1, 2015, the founders have seen a concerning drop in governance standards at Infosys. We won several awards for good governance all over the world. However, since June 1, 2015, we have seen a concerning drop in governance standards at Infosys, he had said. Mazumdar-Shaw said there may be perception challenges, but no governance issues at the company. It is unfortunate that it has been made into governance issue, which is not. I think it is really about perception challenges that have actually created this kind of unpleasant kind of situation, she said. I believe that what the board is doing is, it is creating a very formal channel of communication with the promoters. Hopefully will start seeing these kind of issues subsiding, she said. Replying to a question, she said the board has always backed Sikka. The board has always backed Vishal Sikka. We remain very firmly grounded on this particular aspect. This is not the time for us to get into these kind of issues. This is the time when we should move forward, she said. LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / October 8, 2020 / Compare-autoinsurance.org (https://compare-autoinsurance.org/) has launched a new blog post that explains how drivers can maintain low car insurance rates after they caused an accident. For more info and free quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/accident-forgiveness-can-help-you-save-money-on-your-car-insurance/ Usually, following a car accident, the insurance premiums of the at-fault driver will increase. To prevent this unpleasant situation from happening, policyholders can purchase accident forgiveness coverage. Before acquiring accident forgiveness, drivers should consider the following: Accident forgiveness is optional coverage. This coverage will help drivers maintain their current insurance rates, even if they are at-fault in a car accident. However, not every insurance company provides this coverage, so drivers are advised to check if their insurers are offering this option. It prevents insurance rates increases. Depending on the severity of the accident and the driving record, the at-fault drivers can have their insurance rates increased with as much as 50%. To avoid this unpleasant situation, insurance providers offer the accident forgiveness coverage that will help drivers maintain their policy rates after the first at-fault accident. Accident forgiveness programs vary from one insurer to another. Some insurers can offer accident forgiveness to new customers or to customers that renew their policies and others can offer this option to purchase. In most cases, drivers need a clean driving record in order to obtain accident forgiveness. Accident forgiveness can forgive one or more accidents. Most insurers offer accident forgiveness programs that forgive one accident that happens in a period that is between one to three years. However, there are some insurers that are offering programs where at-fault drivers are forgiven for multiple at-fault car accidents. Story continues For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/ Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Drives can prevent the increasing of their insurance premiums after an at-fault accident if they are acquiring accident forgiveness coverage", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing Company Person for contact: Daniel C Phone Number: (818) 359-3898 Email: cgurgu@internetmarketingcompany.biz Website: https://compare-autoinsurance.org/ SOURCE: Internet Marketing Company View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/609706/How-To-Save-Car-Insurance-Money-With-The-Help-Of-Accident-Forgiveness-Addon Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 22:58:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's First Lady Margaret Kenyatta on Thursday called for enhanced digital inclusion for persons with disabilities so as to eliminate technological barriers that prevent them from accessing services. Margaret who delivered a keynote address at the opening of the inaugural virtual Inclusive Africa Conference 2020 in Nairobi said the need for digital solutions has been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic which has made it necessary for people, communities and businesses to rely on access to the internet, smart technology and online services to survive. "It is my hope that digital solutions and best practices will be adopted for easy access and affordability across Africa; and that more investment will be allocated towards education and digital training and employment of youth with disabilities," she said in a statement issued in Nairobi after the opening ceremony. According to Margaret, most affected by the pandemic have been vulnerable, blind and visually impaired persons who, due to their circumstances, have faced multiple forms of digital exclusion such as lack of computer assistive technology, inaccessible websites or online content. Margaret emphasized the need to scale up digital access and inclusion by adopting regional and global best practices to ensure young people with disabilities are not left behind in contributing to Kenya's development. She expressed concern that digital services and products that fully cater to the needs of persons with disabilities including the blind and visually impaired were still lacking in many areas. "This is a concern for many other African countries because the dialogue around digital inclusion is only just emerging," said Margaret. The First Lady called for more investment in interventions that serve children with disabilities so as to equip them with modern technological capabilities from an early age. She expressed hope that the conference would map out strategies that will assist in removing barriers that hinder access to technology for people living with disabilities. Jerome Ochieng, ICT principal secretary outlined the initiatives the government is implementing to ensure digital inclusivity. Ochieng singled out the government's installation of over 9,000 km of fiber optic cable connecting all counties and sub-county headquarters as one of the measures taken to boost digital accessibility. Enditem 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. 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 Bangladesh: Rajshahi fish farmers trying hard to recover losses incurred due to Covid-19 pandemic October 08,2020 | Source: Dhaka Tribune Fish farmers in Rajshahi are trying hard to recoup their financial losses due to Covid-19 pandemic situation as trading began in full swing after the lockdown in the region. Farmers of Bagdhani village under Paba upazila said fish selling has started in full swing after lifting the lockdown over the last couple of months. Despite low prices to some extent, fish selling is going on successfully at present. They said 140 fish-laden trucks are going to Dhaka every day. Fish trading valued at around Tk 1,700 crore happened during the normal time each year on an average. The farmers could not sell their fish because of the abnormal decline in prices and reduced scope of supplying fish to Dhaka due to the lockdown, they said. Aminul Islam, a farmer of the village, blamed the sudden death of fishes in the ponds due to shortages of oxygen there. Around 600 metric tons of fish worth around Tk12 crore died early last month in various ponds of the city and surrounding upazilas -- due to excessive day temperatures and shortages of oxygen in those ponds -- affecting many fish farmers badly, according to sources. Shahidul Islam has 15 ponds. Though the fish in five of his ponds died due to oxygen shortage, he has sold fish worth Tk30 lakh after the withdrawal of the lockdown. He is going to sell fish worth several crores of taka within a few days. Sadiqul Islam, another farmer of Naohata village, said he is selling eight to ten trucks of fish every month after the lifting of the the lockdown. The selling prices are yet to be normalized due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation. He said that the prices of fish have declined by Tk40 to 50 per kg. However, he expects the prices to increase soon as their fish are now being supplied to Dhaka. During the lockdown, which was enforced on March 26 and continued till May 31, the supply of fish to Dhaka was almost stopped. Besides, the selling prices of fish fell sharply. Even though the prices are still low, fish trading has started in full swing like before. According to sources, for the last one week a huge supply of fish has been noticed in all city markets. Especially on the weekends, the city fish markets including the wholesale fish markets at New Market, Naodapara, Rajshahi Court, and Shaheb Bazaar experienced a huge supply of local varieties of fishes. Moreover, there was also a huge supply of Ilish, Rupchanda, and other types of sea-fish. As a result of supply of so much fish in the markets, the price of all varieties of fish also dropped substantially. Anisur Rahman, a fish farmer at Sripur village in Bagmara upazila, said he sold fish worth Tk10 lakh after the lockdown was withdrawn. He has more fish in his ponds. He will sell them when the market situation becomes normal like before. District Fisheries Officer Alok Kumar Shaha said there are 50,000 ponds on 13,000 hectares of land producing around 81,000 tonnes of fish each year in the district. Of those, 85 percent are carp fish. In terms of carp fish production, Rajshahi retained the top position for the last couple of years. After meeting up the local demands, around 140 trucks of live fish are being supplied to Dhaka every day on an average. Each of the trucks carries 700 to 800 kilograms of fish. We have around 17,000 fish farmers in the district and about nine lakh people are involved in fish farming, production, transportation, and trading, he said, adding that the extent of yearly fish trading may be around TK1,620 crore. According to a report published on 28 August in Dhaka Tribune, Tofazuddin Ahmed, divisional deputy director of the Department of Fisheries, attributed the success to the adoption of multidimensional development and extension programs including the promotion of modern technology. He said fish farming is making many people financially solvent along with boosting their social dignity and contributing to meeting the demand for the animal protein of the region, besides different other parts of the country. In order to boost fish production in the countrys internal water-bodies, stock of around 104,000 lakh tons of fish fingerlings has been arranged in different water-bodies at a cost of around Tk15.62 crore, benefiting 684,000 lakh fish farmers. Besides, Beel nursery on 1,370.06 hectares of water-bodies has been installed at a cost of around Tk2.8 crore, benefitting 58,984 fish-growers and contributing a lot to boosting carp fish in internal water bodies. Rachel Dolezal in 2017. (Nicholas K. Geranios/AP) As a nation, we may be moving toward more consciousness about Blackness, but for most Americans Black consciousness remains a mystery. We, the people, have wanted it that way: for most of our history, racism has urged us to substitute stereotypes, distortions and patronizing assumptions for any real understanding of who Black people are. These days, as white folks wrestle with how to learn on a large scale, weve come across a somewhat novel problem: Individual whites pretending to be Black what I call "passe noir." They tend to be in career positions usually occupied by Black people the few career positions they usually occupy first and most notably Rachel Dolezal, the white woman in Spokane who in 2015 was found to be passing as the Black head of the local NAACP. This year there was Jessica Krug of George Washington University, a well-regarded professor of Black studies whose book, Fugitive Modernities, is considered to be in the canon of histories of the African diaspora. More recently, CV Vitolo-Haddad was barred from taking a tenure-track position at Fresno State because it was discovered theyd been, as they put it, letting people think they were Black. Most interesting is how quick these people were to condemn their own actions or inactions once they were found out. In an online essay posted on Medium, Krug didnt hold back on the mea culpas for the sin of representing herself as a woman of color: I should be canceled, she wrote. Dolezal was similarly regretful; Vitolo-Haddad apologized for the "wrong turns" they made on the journey to understanding race. Being so thoroughly educated in the nature of Black oppression, these academics could hardly do otherwise. And yet, had they not been outed, they would have said nothing at all. This, then, is a highly self-aware subset of racial impostors in a long line of impostors dating back to blackface minstrels. The most charitable reading of their passe noir is still a troubling irony: sincerely intentioned, empathetic white people felt they could only serve Black consciousness by going undercover, slipping on a Black identity like a costume rather than treating it like a set of distinct, and distinctly American, life experiences that need to be probed, not performed. Story continues Deplorable and even ridiculous as this is, its familiar. For me its personal: My family is from New Orleans, Creole people from the citys Seventh Ward who are descended from Americas oldest practitioners of passing, albeit the opposite kind. Passe blanc is, of course, entirely different from its postmodern inverse. Most Creoles did it to survive, to keep a job or elude the many indignities of Jim Crow. If nobody asked, they didnt tell, but they always lived with the anxiety of white folks finding out, and of suffering real consequences. Their identity choice was not really a choice: it was forced by racism, and it tended to be situational, not existential. But all passing grows out of the secrecy and shame weve been conditioned to associate with Blackness, which is far more emotional than it is academic. Critical race theory, racial performance, intersectionality all these rubrics are important organizing tools that cant compare to the complex realities of lived Black life. Though its not required, Black experience feels foundational to Black studies, which is perhaps why some white people cant feel legit in the field unless they fake it. "Fugitive Modernities," by Jessica Krug, one of a recent group of scholars who admitted they had "passed" as Black. (Duke University Press) Being authentically Black is an obsession in this country, something that all the PhDs and bestselling empathy primers in the world cant address. In fact, advanced degrees are often seen to work against authenticity. But no matter how woke or down they are, white people who claim to be Black (or let us think they are) are not joining the cause so much as self-serving: Their academic work would not be nearly as emotionally resonant if they presented it as white people. They would be seen as standing outside of it, and many white people desperately want in. In her Medium essay, a chastened Krug wrote that she had eschewed her lived experience as a white Jewish child in suburban Kansas City in order to assume various Black identities throughout her life North African Blackness, then U.S.-rooted Blackness, then Caribbean-rooted Bronx Blackness. Though shed been a kind of roving target, it was clear that Krug had crossed over the term Creoles use to mean passing permanently from one racial identity to the other. Crossing over is a kind of death, and this seemed to be Krugs intention: to be reborn as Black. The particular kind of Blackness almost seemed beside the point, which was to leave whiteness behind for good. Lauren Michele Jackson, a Black literature professor at Northwestern University, pointed out in a New Yorker piece that Krug had benefited indirectly from colorism. Many professors in her field are Black people with light complexions, fitting the historic pattern of lighter-skinned Creoles being more socially advantaged and likelier to have college degrees. Jackson suggests that Krug had slipped through the cracks by putting herself on that spectrum and exploiting the general reluctance to question it. Even in a field in which authenticity can matter, academics take Black identity at face value: Out in the larger world, who would identify as Black if they didnt have to? What set off this years cascade of revelations was the death of H.G. Hache Carrillo, a respected novelist and teacher who had claimed to be Afro-Cuban. It turns out that was only half true. He was Black but American, born in Detroit. His was a more nuanced kind of passing, speaking more to the shame and sense of not-enoughness coded in being Black American. We occupy a caste that doesnt exist in countries where there has been colonialism and slavery, but not Jim Crow segregation and degradation. As an author Carrillo wanted to be himself, but expanded Black in America, but rooted elsewhere. Cuba and Latino culture had given him that expansiveness. Following the posthumous exposure of his largely successful escape from an African American identity, people began scrutinizing other writers who had coopted it. Black studies has been an academic discipline for more than 50 years, an evolving set of topics and approaches that are, in theory, open to anyone. And yet we are often suspicious of anyone being legitimately interested in Blackness who isnt Black herself. A white person like that must have a fetish, we think, or a traumatizing upbringing; they are at the very least a cultural leech, as Krug ruefully described herself, at least in part. Often thats true. One of the dictums of white supremacy is that white interest in Black people can only be prurient or transactional, never sincere and certainly never about equality. The particular problem for white scholars of Black studies is that the authority they seek can resemble supremacy, another way for white folks to say they know Black people better than they know themselves. Passe noir is an ill-conceived shortcut around this conundrum, but the conundrum itself is real, and this country has never really been interested in solving it. As the movement shifts in the wake of the George Floyd protests and talk turns to enlisting allies in a common project, the fact is that we need white people who deeply understand and respect Blackness in all its complexity. We need white people to be intensely interested and represent what thats like, living an experience that is uncommon, and maybe difficult, but necessary. For inspiration, we might study the life of Johnny Otis, the famous bandleader who was of Greek descent but identified with Black people his whole career the only white person, to my knowledge, with a regular column in the Black weekly the L.A. Sentinel. When Otis wrote "us" he meant Black folk, but he included himself in the community because he lived in it, in more ways than one. His entree was jazz music, and then R&B, but the connections went deeper than that. He lived, physically and otherwise, in that rarefied space of being a white ally who was also a fellow traveler. He didnt pass because that wasnt him, but chiefly because Black people didnt want or need him to. That fiction, he knew, would have served no one. Kaplan is a contributing writer to the Times Opinion pages. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A 133-foot-tall Antares rocket launches NASA's Cygnus NG-14 cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. A carefully orchestrated photo caught the flight transiting in front of a nearly full moon on October 2, 2020. Steven Rice Northrop Grumman launched a cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station at 9:16 p.m. ET on October 2. An enterprising photographer from Philadelphia managed to record the 14-story rocket flying in front of a nearly full moon. Professional launch photographers believe it's one of the first such moon-transiting rocket-launch photos in two decades. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Minutes before liftoff of a NASA rocket mission on October 2, Steve Rice realized he was in the wrong place for a photographic fantasy he'd waited years to make real. Rice, a 33-year-old Texas native who calls Philadelphia home, had documented about half a dozen space launches up-close. But to challenge himself and record a unique perspective of spaceflight, Rice committed to, one day, taking photos and video of a rocket flying in front of the moon. "It's been in my mind for a long time as a fantasy, because living up here I don't get too many launches" near home, Rice told Business Insider. "One of my favorite things to shoot is the space station transiting the moon or the sun through my telescope. So the thought of the rocket going across the moon has been on my mind. But I never thought there'd be an opportunity to do that." Yet Rice saw his chance when Northrop Grumman announced it'd fly the Cygnus NG-14 cargo resupply spaceship, dubbed the "S.S. Kalpana Chawla," from NASA's launch facility at Wallops Island, Virginia, a three-and-a-half-hour drive away. The mission was to fly 5,000 pounds of air, food, water, spacesuit parts, and scientific experiments including a $23 million titanium space-toilet prototype to the International Space Station. Photographing anything fast flying past the moon requires a combination of luck, planning, and skill, due to the heavenly body's small relative size (roughly that of a thumbnail on an outstretched arm) and constant motion. Doing so with rockets require an excess of all three virtues, though, due to additional challenges of geography, weather, curved flight paths, and fickleness. Story continues In September, for example, nearly all orbital-class launch attempts from US soil were scrubbed. The Cygnus spacecraft launch on an Antares rocket was no different: Eighteen seconds before planned liftoff on October 1, the mission was postponed due to a ground control equipment problem, NASA said. Rice had driven out for that attempt, losing most of a day and a lot of gas money in the process. He said he wasn't sure he'd try again for the next attempt, the following day at 9:18 p.m. ET. "My brother and his girlfriend were visiting from Atlanta for the week, and I'm the crazy guy who wants to abandon them at night, and go drive three hours down to maybe see a launch," Rice said. But he got in the car. He was too committed to the idea, having studied weather forecasts, researched shooting alignments and settings with specialized apps (like Photographer's Ephemeris and Flight Club), and pored over maps to stake out the perfect spot: the shoulder of a road near a corn field 3.4 miles from NASA's launch pad. From there, he calculated, the moon would be rising above the eastern horizon, to align perfectly with the rocket's path to orbit about 22 seconds after liftoff. With "a big stroke of luck," he said, he could fit the rocket's 139-foot-tall frame inside a barely waned full moon. With just 16 minutes left in the countdown, though, Rice triple-checked his location and found himself setting up his gear thousands of feet from where he was supposed to be. "I used a map to count telephone poles from intersections, since there weren't any other discernible details," he said. "But at night, it was difficult to find the right spot, and I was set up at the wrong near the wrong telephone pole ... I had to throw everything back into the car and drive down the road to the right spot and get set up again." He pulled off the road near the correct telephone pole, then put up a tripod and camera with a 300-millimeter telephoto lens he'd bought on Ebay for $20. Ten feet away, he erected another tripod with a camera, this one with a small telescope attached to it, hit the video-record button, and jogged back to his still camera. Shortly after seeing the light of the launch, he held down the camera's shutter what he called the "spray and pray" method in hopes of getting some frames of the rocket's journey toward space. Moments later, the machine thundered across the moon, right where it was supposed to be. Watch a 14-story rocket journey across the moon The nine images Rice shared on Instagram, embedded above with his permission, show the full, stunning sequence of pictures. "This was the only time I've actually shouted after getting the shot," Rice said, including some "undisclosed" curse words. "I was out alone on the side of a road next to harvested cornfield." But Rice said the video he recorded, uploaded to YouTube and embedded below with his permission, made him even more giddy than the still photos. The footage, shot in 4K ultra-high resolution, shows the explosive shockwaves of two fuel-devouring Russian rocket engines emanating into the air around the rocket. Following it, the engine's exhaust disturbs the moon's light into a chaos of schlieren when variations in the density of a gas or liquid cause light to refract and bend. "It's like a mirage," Rice said. Rice said it was "a big stroke of luck" that he managed to record the scene with both photos and video. "It's amazing how accurate and more or less lucky you have to be to make sure the alignment is right," he said. As an example, he said, a photographer stationed a mile closer to the pad didn't manage to pull it off. Rice also noted that the mission had a five-minute window to launch. If mission controllers had delayed the liftoff to the end of that window, he would have been 250 feet away from where he was supposed to be not a lot of time to move and precisely set up a bunch of gear alone. After Rice posted the photos to Instagram, he saw a tide of congratulations. One came from Carleton Bailie, a launch photographer of many decades, who said it took 20 years for someone "to get one" rocket-and-moon shot like it. Bailie added that the last time was likely in 2000, when he took a similar photo during the launch of an Atlas rocket. Ben Cooper, SpaceX's go-to launch photographer, also chimed in. "Great job! It's been a long time since someone got it," Cooper wrote, confirming that the photos are likely the first of their kind in a couple decades, adding: "I keep pretty good track of photos and have been doing so for 20 years now." Read the original article on Business Insider ROME - Doctors Without Borders, together with over 400 NGOs, is appealing to Europe one month after the fire that destroyed the Moria refugee camp in Greece, to keep its promise of "no more Morias". In the appeal, the NGOs denounce the miserable conditions in other camps without essential services, including the new camp in Lesbo, which it said "was built quickly on a former shooting range and recalls the misery of the former one: people wash themselves and their children in the sea because there are no showers, there are few outhouses, and food is distributed once a day". They said it is also impossible to respect even the most basic anti-Covid rules. "Over 7,500 people are still trapped in inhumane conditions" in the new camp, the appeal said. "And other thousands, including 7,000 children, continue to live in other unworthy and dangerous camps on the Aegean Islands," it said. Taking a cue from other entities' and civil society's numerous criticisms and requests for changes to the Migration Pact under examination by the European Commission, the NGOs reiterated that the Pact "doesn't respond to these requests but reaffirms the European governments' and institutions' commitment to the same policies that caused the fires". For his part in one of the countrys largest coronavirus relief schemes, South Florida rapper and reality star Diamond Blue Smith has been charged with fleecing more than $1 million from a federal loan program for struggling businesses and buying a $96,000 Ferrari with the proceeds. Smith, 36, a cast member on Love & Hip Hop: Miami and a member of the group Pretty Ricky, was arrested this week along with a Pennsylvania tow truck operator for their roles in a COVID-19 relief scheme involving $24 million in fraudulent loan applications, authorities said Wednesday. This summer, a Miami moving man was accused in a similar scam of buying a $318,000 Lamborghini with millions he allegedly bilked from the same Small Business Administration program. In the latest case, Smith and Tonye C. Johnson, 28, of Pennyslvania, face federal charges of wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud in the Southern District of Florida. Smith, who had his first federal court appearance Monday in Atlanta, could not be immediately reached for comment. Eleven other defendants linked to their case, mostly from Florida, have been charged with conspiring to defraud the Small Business Administrations Paycheck Protection Program approved by Congress as part of the CARES Act. It is meant to help businesses suffering from the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal prosecutors allege that Smith, also known as Baby Blue, obtained $427,000 in a PPP loan through his company, Throwbackjersey.com, by falsifying documents for the SBA relief program. A bank approved the loan, which is guaranteed by the federal agency. Smith also allegedly obtained another loan of $708,000 through another company, Blue Star Records LLC. Before his arrest, Smith not only bought the Ferrari but also withdrew about $272,000 in loan proceeds from his bank account, prosecutors said. The FBIs investigation revealed that Smith was allegedly part of a broader scheme involving others who helped file applications for the coronavirus relief funds while taking kickbacks. Among the alleged ringleaders: Phillip J. Augustin, 51, of Coral Springs, who is accused of using his talent management company to obtain a fraudulent PPP loan and then collaborating with Smith and several others to submit at least 90 more loans. As a result, the SBA guaranteed a total of $17.4 million in COVID-19 relief loans that were issued to the applicants through local banks extending from Florida to Ohio, authorities said. Story continues Others charged in the alleged ring include: Former NFL player Joshua J. Bellamy, 31, of St. Petersburg, who was released in September as a wide receiver with the New York Jets. He was charged in Fort Lauderdale federal court with bank and wire fraud. This summer, the feds made perhaps their biggest headline when investigators arrested a Miami man who bought a $318,000 Lamborghini sports car with $4 million from PPP loans for his moving company. David T. Hines, who was charged with fraud in an isolated case, also spent thousands of dollars on dating websites, jewelry and clothes, along with stays at high-end hotels such as the Fontainebleau and Setai on Miami Beach. The loans are guaranteed by the SBA under a $650 billion program approved by Congress after the COVID-19 pandemic struck the nation in March. The loans are forgiven by the government as long as the proceeds are used for employee payroll and other legitimate expenses. 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. 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. Americans are increasingly using Yelp to sound the alarm after encountering racist practices at businesses across the country. In the months after George Floyds death under the knee of a police officer in Minneapolis, an increasing number of reviewers have warned fellow users of racist conduct at local businesses, Yelp says. On Thursday, the platform announced plans to pick up where watchdog users left off with the launch of a consumer alert that flags businesses accused of racist behavior. The move is meant to give patrons "reliable" and actionable information while holding business owners accountable for their actions, the platform says. Now more than ever, consumers are increasingly conscious of the types of businesses they patronize and support. They are 'voting with their dollars,' so to speak," said Noorie Malik, Yelps vice president of user operations. We needed a better solution to inform consumers about businesses allegedly associated with egregious, racially charged actions to help people feel comfortable patronizing a business. 'Keep this energy up:' Black-owned businesses see surge of interest amid racism protests Yelp's new "Business Accused of Racist Behavior Alert" and other tools can serve innocent business owners and Yelp users alike. On one hand, the alerts can protect businesses from an avalanche of angry artificial reviews and the notices let consumers know what they might be up against before patronizing a store. How has the pandemic altered dating? Survey says more roommates are hooking up Review bombs On Yelp, a businesss star rating can be artificially inflated or deflated by activists leaving reviews for stores theyve never been to. This type of scenario played out in 2012 after a pizza parlor owner hugged President Barack Obama and ignited social media responses from people on both sides of the aisle. Some posted one-star reviews on the restaurants page attacking the owner. Others left five-star reviews in his defense. Story continues A similar incident occurred in 2018 after the arrest of two Black men at a Philadelphia Starbucks. Yelp's new alert flags businesses accused of racism. The new red icon alert on Yelp will appear on business pages that may have been impacted by situations where someone associated with a business used racist language or a racist symbol, Yelp says. And the platform will temporarily disable users ability to post content on pages that are under investigation until the attention dies down. We want to warn other people who may be coming to the businesss Yelp page that there might be reviews that arent based on first-hand experiences, Malik said. Businesses without a significant spike in reviews surrounding racism wont be flagged. In those cases, consumers and business owners can report content they believe violates Yelps guidelines against hate speech. The new notice isn't unfamiliar territory. For years, Yelp has placed unusual activity alerts on business pages that have received increased public attention, usually stemming from an onslaught of media coverage. Between May and June 2020, there was a 277% increase in the placement of Yelps unusual-activity alerts, the platform says. A lot of that traction stems from reports of business owners or employees discrediting the Black Lives Matter movement, the app says. Were often alerted of discrimination occurring at local businesses across the country on a daily basis and often in smaller towns where they may not even make the news, Malik says. Business pages that receive the accused racism alert will always include a news article so consumers can learn more about the incident, Yelp says. Follow Dalvin Brown on Twitter: @Dalvin_Brown. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yelp launches alert that identifies businesses accused of racism The Justice Department recently filed a lawsuit against Dallas, Texas, towing company United Tows LLC for allegedly auctioning five service members' vehicles in violation of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. SCRA bans companies from enforcing a storage lien and auctioning service members' property most commonly towed vehicles or storage unit contents without a court order. The law protects active duty service members, reservists on federal active duty orders of more than 30 days, and veterans who have departed service in the last 90 days. In a complaint filed in the Northern District of Texas, the DoJ alleges that United Tows illegally sold the cars between 2015 and 2018, including that of Airman 1st Class Fassil Mekete in 2017. Mekete was attending Air Force basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, in fall 2017 when the towing company removed his 1998 Toyota Corolla from a martial arts studios parking lot. Before leaving for BMT, the airman received permission from the studios owner to leave his car and some personal belongings in the parking lot, since he no longer had a lease in Dallas. Shelton, CT October 8, 2020 TMC, a global, integrated media company helping clients build communities in print, in person and online, announced today the winners of the 2020 Data Center Excellence Award, presented by infoTECH Spotlight. The infoTECH Spotlight Data Center Excellence Award recognizes the most innovative and enterprising data center vendors who offer infrastructure or software, servers or cooling systems, cabling or management applications. Once again, the winners of the InfoTech Spotlight 2020 Data Center Excellence Award represent the most innovative and forward-looking companies in this crowded space, said Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC (News - Alert). Data centers are critical to the success of any businesses today. Small or large, every company relies on data centers to host their critical applications and data. The award recipients are leaders within this space and we look forward to seeing their excellence and innovation in 2020 and beyond. 2020 infoTech Spotlight Data Center Excellence Award Winners Company Product Cybera CyberaONE Platform VIAVI Solutions VIAVI Observer Platform Viking Enterprise Solutions VSS2249R For more than 20 years, TMC has been honoring technology companies with awards in various categories. These awards are regarded as some of the most prestigious and respected honors in the communications and technology sector worldwide. Winners represent prominent players in the market who consistently demonstrate the advancement of technologies. Each recipient is a verifiable leader in the marketplace. About infoTech Spotlight infoTech Spotlight brings extensive daily content focused on information technology. Visitors will find free industry news, communities, channels, blogs, feature articles, videos, whitepapers and other resources. The site keeps readers informed about developments across topics including software, hardware, security and networking. InfoTech Spotlight is powered by TMCnet, the leading communications and technology site in the World. Please visit: infoTECH Spotlight for more information. About TMC Through education, industry news, live events and social influence, global buyers rely on TMCs content-driven marketplaces to make purchase decisions and navigate markets. As a result, leading technology vendors turn to TMC for unparalleled branding, thought leadership and lead generation opportunities. Our in-person and online events deliver unmatched visibility and sales prospects for all percipients. Through our custom lead generation programs, we provide clients with an ongoing stream of leads that turn into sales opportunities and build databases. Additionally, we bolster brand reputations with the millions of impressions from display advertising on our news sites and newsletters. Making TMC a 360 degree marketing solution, we offer comprehensive event and road show management services and custom content creation with expertly ghost-crafted blogs, press releases, articles and marketing collateral to help with SEO, branding, and overall marketing efforts. For more information about TMC and to learn how we can help you reach your marketing goals, please visit www.tmcnet.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, @tmcnet TMC Contact Michelle Connolly Marketing Manager 203-852-6800, ext. 170 [email protected] Edited by Erik Linask Watch: The moment inmates plotted to murder plot a prison officer A terrorist jailed for planning an attack inspired by the murder of Lee Rigby has been jailed for life for trying to murder a prison guard. Brusthom Ziamani, 25, has served five years of a 19 year sentence after plotting to behead a soldier in 2014. He became friends with Baz Hockton, 26, while held at high-security HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire. Read more: Blind former Tory peer cleared of sexually assaulting therapist Brusthom Ziamani, top left, and Baz Hockton, top right, were convicted of attempted murder. (PA/Met) The two then planned a terror attack, the Old Bailey heard thought to be the first inside a UK prison, though an IRA bomb was detonated at a Belfast jail in 1991. Fashioning makeshift blades and fake suicide belts, they attacked an officer, Neil Trundle, on 9 January. He was left covered in blood and two female staff members were hurt as they tried to stop the attack. A jury convicted Ziamani and Hockton of attempted murder on Wednesday. CCTV of the aftermath of the attack by Brusthom Ziamani and Baz Hockton on prison guard Neil Trundle. (PA) On Thursday, Ziamani, from Camberwell, south London, was jailed for a minimum of 21 years, and Hockton, from Dagenham, was given life with a minimum of 23 years. Mrs Justice May said: It is quite plain to me that the defendants must have been planning this terrorist operation for some time, preparing fake suicide belts and multiple weapons for the purpose. It is no accident the January 9 attack came just weeks after the London Bridge attack in November 2019. The court heard they lured the kind and helpful Trundle to a cupboard, having asked for a spoon. Brusthom Ziamani, 25, has been sentenced. (PA/Met) They then set upon the officer, shouting Allahu Akbar, attacking his head, chest and neck areas. Ziamani punched nurse Jayle Cowles and prison officer Georgina Ibbotson as they arrived, then resumed the attack on Trundle, the court heard. It left blood on the walls, and Trundle suffered cuts to his scalp, arm and shoulder. I did not see any weapons. I could feel blows coming down on me, he said. I did not realise how bad the damage was to myself until I went to the hospital and looked in the mirror. Story continues Brusthom Ziamani and Baz Hockton moments before the attack. (PA) Officers arrive at the scene. (PA) When another officer approached, Ziamani opened his jacket to show a fake suicide belt, telling him Ive got a bomb. It was later discovered one belt was made with a battery and can while the other was made from elastic from boxer shorts, an electrical cable and plastic bottles. Ziamani admitted assaulting the two women but denied attempted murder, claiming Whitemoor had become hostile to Muslims after the Fishmongers Hall attack in 2019 and wanted to be transferred. Trundle told the court there was not any anti-Muslim feeling at the prison after the Fishmongers Hall attack, but staff had been told about their behaviour after he heard an offensive term used before. Baz Hockton, 26, was found guilty of attempted murder. (PA/Met) Ziamani said he wanted to inflict some damage, like a bloody nose, while Hockton denied the accusations too but did not give evidence. Prosecutor Annabel Darlow QC said Ziamani wanted to become a martyr and kill an officer for terrorist purposes. A note found in Hocktons cell search read: Cant stand anything in uniform and if I see a cop on the wing Im stick a spike in his head like a unicorn. Hockton is three years into a 12-year sentence for stabbing and punching a man in October 2016 and slashing someone else the next month. He has also been serving a 10-year term for wounding a prisoner with intent to cause grievous bodily harm at Swaleside Prison in Kent. The judge said: The violence against him was short-lived but it was strikingly and shockingly ferocious while it continued. To Hockton, she said he was inspired by extremist beliefs and had a terrorist connection. She said: Your current twisted view of Islam needs to change. Only 16% of Wisconsins 11,452 hospital beds were available as of Tuesday afternoon, according to state health department. The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients had grown to 853, its highest during the pandemic, according to the COVID Tracking Project, with 216 in intensive care. Watch: Johnson expected to order pubs to shut in the north of England The government is treating the North like a petri dish for local lockdown experiments as harsher restrictions are considered, the mayor of the Liverpool City Region has said. With coronavirus cases continuing to rise across the north of England and current local lockdown measures failing to stop the increase, the government is considering tightening measures only weeks after introducing new ones. Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram told Good Morning Britain: What we've seen is an ever-widening North-South divide in measures being taken. Quite simply the North should not be a petri dish for experimentation by central government." Politicians across the North have criticised ministers over plans to close pubs and restaurants next week to tackle rising coronavirus cases. The proposals, which have not been confirmed, appeared on the front pages of The Times, Telegraph and The Sun newspapers, provoking an angry response from opposition MPs and Labour elected mayors. Read more: Hospital suspends all non-emergency surgery for 48 hours following COVID-19 outbreak City region mayors attacked the plans over closing pubs and restaurants so soon after new measures were brought in. (PA) Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle and large parts of the north of England are currently under local lockdowns, limiting visits to other peoples households, while pubs have to close at 10pm nationally. Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham tweeted: No discussion. No consultation. Millions of lives affected by Whitehall diktat. It is proving impossible to deal with this Government. Dan Jarvis, Sheffield City Region mayor and Barnsley Central MP, wrote on Twitter: Recklessly irresponsible to brief the papers but not leaders in the North wholl somehow have to make this work. Get a grip. Watch: Johnson faces backlash from northern MPs over lockdown Sheffield is not currently under local lockdown but is on receiving enhanced support from the government and cases have soared to over 200 per 100,000 in recent weeks, mainly driven by the return of students. Story continues Rotheram said: It is deeply disappointing to wake up this morning to reports that new COVID-19 restrictions affecting millions of people in our city region, and across the North, could be in place within days, rather than hearing it during a genuine dialogue between ministers and local leaders. At the moment we have a patchwork of local measures across the country and too much confusion for the public as a result. Read more: Coronavirus infections soar by 56% in a week as test and trace fails to hit targets Once again: please follow the guidance on social distancing, face coverings and washing hands. pic.twitter.com/ipq8NtP6J0 Steve Rotheram (@MetroMayorSteve) October 8, 2020 Rotheram said extra funding for affected areas would be needed saying the government provided support at the start of lockdown in March and they would need to again if measures were tightened. Shadow business minister Lucy Powell, Manchester Central MP, tweeted: Lets remember infections still largely occurring: inside households, then in education (mainly university) settings then health/care settings, then workplaces. In that order. Only then (and further down) do you get to hospitality and other settings Referring to the prospect of pubs in northern England being shut down, she added: Its really upsetting and a lot of anxiety for all those working in and running restaurants, pubs, bars in the North (that place up there where 15m of us live). Labour MPs in the north-east of England were also angry. Read more: COVID killed three times as many people as flu and pneumonia combined this year Jarrow MP Kate Osborne shared The Times front page, tweeting: If this is true, the Government is showing contempt for all by this being announced in the paper today. There needs to be a package of support for all and we need a strategy, a plan to get us out of these local restrictions. There needs to be hope for us all. And Emma Lewell-Buck, Labour MP for South Shields, said: My contempt for this Government grows stronger every day. If this is true it will destroy our local economy in Shields and since testing remains a shambles it wont even reduce our infection rates. There has also been disquiet among Tory backbenchers who are growing increasingly irritated by the extended limitations on the populations civil liberties. Conservative MP for Rossendale and Darwen, Jake Berry, accused the government of being London-centric in its thinking towards local lockdowns and said any enhanced measures should be backed up by treasury support. Coronavirus: what happened today Police in Embu County have arrested Itabua police station Commanding Officer (OCS) Jacob Kaberia Mbiti after his teenage daughter shot her cousin. The shooting occurred on September 27, 2020 but the matter had not been reported to the police. According to a police report, the OCS left his Jericho pistol unattended at home allowing his 16-year-old daughter access to the gun. The girl is said to have been playing with the firearm when she fired one round of 9mm bullet, seriously injuring her cousin Doreen Kathambi, 23. Ms Kathambi was taken to Tenri Hospital in Embu where she was admitted and later discharged on October 5. The OCS was arrested on Tuesday, October 6, and the firearm recovered with 14 rounds of ammunition and one spent cartridge. The matter is still under investigation, police said. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] 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 Laugh along at two virtual comedy festivals and a weekend of stand-up. Watch Halloween-themed flicks at the drive-ins. Celebrate the cinema of 1962. Support National Coming Out Day by lacing up for a virtual run or relaxing at a screening of But I'm a Cheerleader. Hang with the cast of Dazed and Confused as they reunite for a good cause. And finally, don't forget to check out our Ways To Celebrate Halloween In SoCal In The Middle Of A Pandemic. Through Friday, Oct. 16 Virtual Howl-O-Ween Costume Contest The city of Palmdale hosts a canine costume contest on the Yellen Dog Park Facebook page. Submit photos of your four-legged BFFs in their best outfits. One winner will be selected in the following categories: most "pawsome," most creative, funniest and most spooktacular, superhero and best Disney character. Top dogs will receive a Halloween-themed goodie basket filled with toys and treats. The deadline for costume picture entries is Oct. 16. Approved entrants will be presented in a virtual parade on Halloween. COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO Friday, Oct. 9 - Sunday, Oct. 11; 7 - 10 p.m. Magic Asphalt Magic Castle Parking Lot 7001 Franklin Ave., Hollywood This COVID-safe, stand-up comedy show takes place biweekly, and you can watch a lineup of comics all weekend long from the safety of your car. Performers include Josh Wolf, Preacher Lawson, Jamie Kennedy, Dean Delrey, Jodi Miller, Audrey Stewart, Tony Hinchcliffe, Christina Parzsitzky, Justin Martindale, Sarah Tiana, Kennelia, Erica Rhodes, Joe Praino, Josh Adam Meyers and Justine Marino. Cocktails will be available on-site but food must be ordered in advance. Guests will need to remain in their cars during the show and wear a mask if they want to use the for-emergencies-only bathroom. COST: $125 per car (up to five people); MORE INFO Friday, Oct. 9; 7:30 p.m. The Moth Virtual StorySLAM -- Home LACMA teams with The Moth for a storytelling night inspired by Do Ho Suh's 348 West 22nd Street (2011-15), a large-scale artwork that examines the ideas of home, personal history and memory. The night's participants will share five-minute stories on the theme of home. COST: $8 - $10; MORE INFO Friday, Oct. 9 - Sunday, Oct. 11; 7:30 p.m. Starlight Drive In Movies Brea Mall 1065 Brea Mall, Brea Starlight shows Halloween flicks all month long. This weekend's screenings include Ghostbusters on Friday night, Goosebumps on Saturday night and Edward Scissorhands on Sunday. COST: $35 per car; MORE INFO Eva Noblezada stars in 'Yellow Rose,' which opens this weekend. (Courtesy of Stage 6 Films) Friday, Oct. 9 Yellow Rose Written and directed by Diane Paragas, this festival favorite tells the story of a Filipina teen from a small Texas town who pursues her dreams of becoming a country music performer. COST: Varies; MORE INFO Friday, Oct. 9 - Friday, Oct. 16; 7 p.m. - 2 a.m. Not Real Art 2020 Helms Bakery District 8745 Washington Blvd., Culver City Watch public art projections at Helms Bakery and a virtual gallery exhibition featuring the recipients of the 2020 Not Real Art Grant. They are Jacqueline Valenzuela, Gershon Kreimer, Kiara Aileen Machado, Miki Yokoyama, Paloma Montoya and Tijera S. Williams. The virtual exhibition takes place at NotRealArt.com starting on Oct. 8 and runs for three months. COST: FREE; MORE INFO Friday, Oct. 9 - Sunday, Oct. 11 Secret Movie Club: Parking Lot Cinema Glendale Sears Parking Lot 211 West California Ave., Glendale SMC has a great lineup of two Halloween-themed features this weekend starting Friday with Trick R Treat (2007) at 7:15 p.m. and George Romero's Creepshow (1982) at 9:30 p.m. On Saturday, the films are IT Chapter One (2017) at 7:15 p.m. followed by Brian de Palma's Carrie (1976) at 10:15 p.m. On Sunday at 7 p.m., there's a family-friendly screening of Hocus Pocus (1993). COST: $23 - $37; MORE INFO The Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard features a classic car from its collection in a new six-part YouTube series. (Courtesy of the Mullin Automotive Museum ) Fridays through Nov. 6; noon Docent Tour Series The Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard gives viewers an insider's look at some of its most interesting vehicles on its YouTube channel. Each 20-minute episode focuses on a specific car. This week (Oct. 9), the museum spotlights its 1929 Bugatti Type 43/44. COST: FREE; MORE INFO Friday, Oct. 9; 6 p.m. PDT An Evening Conversation with Marla Gibbs and Angela Gibbs The next installment of The Robey Theatre Company's conversations (via Zoom) features a mother and daughter pair. Marla Gibbs, best known for her stint on The Jeffersons and 227, is joined by her daughter Angela, an actor-writer-director-producer, and founder of Crossroads Arts Academy Theatre in Leimert Park. They'll discuss the state of the theater and racial justice along with an audience Q&A. COST: Suggested donation $10; MORE INFO Friday, Oct. 9 - Saturday, Oct. 10; 2:15 p.m. - 8 p.m. PST Just For Laughs Festival The venerated Montreal comedy fest goes virtual this year, featuring more than 100 artists including Hannah Gadsby, Jo Koy, Howie Mandel, Kenya Barris, Sarah Cooper, Amber Ruffin, Tituss Burgess, Nicole Byer, Trixie Mattel, Kevin Hart, Judd Apatow and Chelsea Handler. Events will be available as video on demand (VOD) until midnight on Oct. 11. COST: FREE; MORE INFO Friday, Oct. 9; noon - midnight PST Original Sound Virtual Cannabis & Arts Festival Hazy L.A. presents a day of curated music acts including Levitation Room, Dr. Fresch, The Blank Tapes, Wenzday, MackandGold, Weapons Of Mass Creation and The Bash Dogs.The day also features art, giveaways and legal cannabis education while fundraising for In Place of War, a nonprofit that uses creativity in places of conflict to enable positive change. COST: FREE; MORE INFO Saturday, Oct. 10; 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Denisse Ariana Perez The Fowler Museum teams with UCLA's Disrupt student design association to present a lecture series that helps break down barriers in the arts. Perez has an image series that addresses the fluidity of male identity. She challenges viewers by finding the vulnerabilities in subjects and their environments. COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO Cinema '62 A-Go-Go is a variety show that celebrates the launch of a new book and the films of 1962. (Courtesy of Vitagraph Films) Saturday, Oct. 10; 3 - 6 p.m. PDT Cinema '62 A-Go-Go Vitagraph Films 360 is a cool virtual experience that celebrates the release of the book Cinema '62: The Greatest Year at the Movies. Tune in for a variety show of yesteryear with guests, discussions, music and dancing. Hosts/authors Michael McClellan and Stephen Farber look back at the year through film, culture and politics, and guests are invited to participate by dressing in their finest outfits, circa 1962. COST: $13; MORE INFO Through Saturday, Oct. 31 Pride Stride Virtual Run Here's a great reason to get off the couch. L.A. Pride and EnMotive hold an inaugural virtual run in cities nationwide in support of National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11). Choose between a 5K or 10K and run or walk the distance on the treadmill, sidewalk or trail. Just make sure to finish before the end of the month. All participants will receive a commemorative jacket, medal, fanny pack, wristbands and race bib. COST: $40; MORE INFO Saturday, Oct 10; 1 - 2:30 p.m. PDT Common Ground Group Show Nearly two dozen artists are taking part in a virtual group show that focuses on how we share the planet despite borders, political landscapes and cultural differences. Curated by Suvan Geer and Sandra Mueller, participating artists include Kim Abeles, Eloisa Guanlao, Ann Isolde, Sant Khalsa, Pamela J. Peters, Bonnie J. Smith/She Votes and Gail Werner. There's an artist-curator online discussion on Saturday during the show's opening. COST: RSVP for discussion; MORE INFO This weekend, Jimmy Pardo and the 'Never Not Funny' podcast hosts the annual Pardcast-A-Thon fundraiser to benefit Smile Train. (Leora Saul ) Saturday, Oct. 10; noon - 6 p.m. PDT Pardcast-A-Thon Jimmy Pardo and the Never Not Funny podcast hold their annual fundraiser to benefit Smile Train, a nonprofit that provides corrective surgery for children with cleft lips and palates. The livestream will feature 15+ surprise guests who are friends of the podcast. Funds will be raised during the show through online donations and auctions. This event has raised more than $1.3 million for Smile Train. COST: FREE to watch, donations encouraged; MORE INFO Sunday, Oct. 11; 6:30 p.m. PDT OUT Under the Stars: But I'm a Cheerleader Parking Garage Rooftop 1400 Ivar Ave., Hollywood The Los Angeles LGBT Center and Lionsgate hold a socially distanced movie night under the stars to celebrate National Coming Out Day on Sunday. The screening of the 1999 film, which stars Natasha Lyonne, Clea Duvall, Melanie Lynskey and RuPaul, serves as a benefit for the center's programs. The screening is part drive-in and part outdoor seating. COST: Tickets start at $25; MORE INFO Sunday, Oct. 11 - Sunday, Oct. 18 The Palm Springs International Comedy Festival In addition to performances, the virtual festival holds prize competitions in stand-up, improv, sketch, feature film, short film, TV pilot, web series, animation and music with the winners receiving awards and cash prizes. Judy Tenuta will receive the PSICF Lifetime Achievement Award while comedienne/actress Luenell (A Star Is Born, Dolemite Is My Name) will be honored with the PSICF Breakthrough Award. COST: $10 (day pass), $40 all access; MORE INFO Sunday, Oct. 11 at 4:30 p.m. PDT Dazed and Confused Live Script Reading The cast of Richard Linklater's 1993 classic film reunites to raise money for voting initiatives in Texas benefitting March For Science and the Voto Latino Foundation. Special guests and original cast members, including Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, Jason London, Joey Lauren Adams, Adam Goldberg, Anthony Rapp, Rory Cochrane, Marissa Ribisi and Cole Hauser, participate in post-reading Q&A moderated by Patton Oswalt. COST: By donation; MORE INFO Golden Road holds an Oktoberfest pop-up, collaborating with Steve Harrington and skate retailer Quiet Life. (Zane Roessell) Dine & Drink Deals Who doesn't miss going out to eat or stopping by a bar for a drink? Here are a few options from restaurants and bars as we work our way back toward normal. 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. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday no "standalone" relief for US airlines would pass Congress without guarantees that the White House and Republicans would back a broader Covid-19 stimulus package. "I have been very open to having a standalone bill for the airlines, or part of a bigger bill. But there is no standalone bill without a bigger bill," the top Democrat in Washington told reporters. "We have come to some areas of agreement" in the trillion-dollar negotiations, she added, "but they have walked away from the full package." President Donald Trump on Tuesday dramatically halted talks on a stimulus plan to boost the pandemic-ravaged US economy. He then turned around to say he wanted Congress to "immediately" pass a separate $25 billion airline relief measure and $135 billion to protect small businesses. On Thursday the president said there were "really good" odds of reaching a deal with Democrats in Congress on a new round of coronavirus relief. US air carriers received billions in aid from Congress this year in exchange for a promise to refrain from laying off workers, but that pledge was in effect only through October 1. Though they have sought to minimize layoffs through voluntary work leave and early retirement programs, American and United airlines last week said they would begin furloughing 19,000 and 13,000 workers, while indicating the moves could be walked back if there is a breakthrough in Congress. Pelosi, while slamming the administration for failing to tackle the pandemic, did acknowledge the talks were not doomed, but rather ongoing. "We've told the White House we're at the table, we want to continue the conversation," she said, adding that "we've made some progress. But Pelosi also made clear the negotiations needed to move beyond numbers, to legislative language, so that Congress does not hand a "blank check" to Trump. Story continues "We have our differences in numbers, but it's no use having just a numbers discussion unless we know what that money is spent on," she said, adding that Democrats insist on strong pandemic response as part of any package Trump signs. "One thing that has to be in this bill, that he has never made as a priority, is crushing the virus, instead of the denial, delay, distortion and lack of reality that the president has all along brought to this," said Pelosi. mlm/dw Former Catholic school principal Marlan Burki should not remain in federal custody while a case based on an identification of him as John Doe No. 42 the man pictured in a most-wanted poster involving child pornography plays out, his attorney said. Omaha attorney Steve Lefler said he does not believe Burki, who is charged in federal court with production of child pornography, is the man identified in the widely disseminated photo and that it would be onerous for him to remain in federal custody while the case is pending. Somebody did say my client was John Doe 42. Ive got a number of people who say hes not, Lefler said. I certainly dont think hes the right guy. A hearing on whether Burki should continue to be held in federal custody has been rescheduled for Thursday. Burki, who was principal of St. Joseph Catholic School in Beatrice last year and principal of a Catholic school in Omaha for 13 years prior to that, was arrested Oct. 1 at his home in Tecumseh. His case is sealed in federal court, but Lefler said he was arrested because someone identified him as John Doe No. 42. On Sept. 30, the FBI sent a news release to media outlets around the country with the John Doe poster with pictures of a white, bearded man, 50-65 years old, wearing a red-and-black plaid shirt taken from a video. Theres also a very short clip that includes his voice. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children first recorded initial videos of the unidentified man shown with a child in August 2019, an FBI news release said. The data embedded within the video files indicated that the files were produced in October 2015. The FBI said it's possible that the individuals appearance may have changed over the years. The wanted poster said the individual may have critical information pertaining to the identify of a child victim in a sexual exploitation investigation. Lefler said the video is of an older man receiving oral sex from a younger man. An FBI spokesperson did not return a phone call. Burki is being held in a federal facility in either Kansas or Missouri, Lefler said. People charged in federal court dont post bail; rather, a judge decides whether a client should be detained based on the danger to the community and a plaintiff's flight risk, Lefler said. Lefler said Burki should be released because there is no victim to identify him as a perpetrator, he doesnt have a passport and he is in ill health, all of which make him at a low risk of fleeing, Lefler said. Facial and voice recognition, as well as processing the electronic equipment seized from Burkis home will take months, Lefler said. Both the Lincoln and Omaha dioceses released statements saying school officials are cooperating with federal law enforcement officials investigating the case, and the schools have no record of Burki being accused of sexual misconduct with minors. Burki was principal of All Saints School from 2006-18 and at the Beatrice school for the 2019-20 school year. The Rev. Nicholas Kipper, with the Lincoln Diocese, said Burki resigned in May but that it was not as a result of a criminal investigation. Latest missing persons in Nebraska Reach the writer at 402-473-7226 or mreist@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSreist Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Considered to be the Ten Best UFO Photos Ever Taken I am sure that we could add more pictures to this list but these are considered ten o... Bill Stein has been the CEO of Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:DLR) since 2014, and this article will examine the executive's compensation with respect to the overall performance of the company. This analysis will also look to assess whether the CEO is appropriately paid, considering recent funds from operations growth and investor returns for Digital Realty Trust. See our latest analysis for Digital Realty Trust Comparing Digital Realty Trust, Inc.'s CEO Compensation With the industry At the time of writing, our data shows that Digital Realty Trust, Inc. has a market capitalization of US$42b, and reported total annual CEO compensation of US$12m for the year to December 2019. That is, the compensation was roughly the same as last year. While we always look at total compensation first, our analysis shows that the salary component is less, at US$1.0m. In comparison with other companies in the industry with market capitalizations over US$8.0b , the reported median total CEO compensation was US$7.2m. This suggests that Bill Stein is paid more than the median for the industry. Component 2019 2018 Proportion (2019) Salary US$1.0m US$1.1m 8% Other US$11m US$11m 92% Total Compensation US$12m US$13m 100% Speaking on an industry level, nearly 15% of total compensation represents salary, while the remainder of 85% is other remuneration. Digital Realty Trust pays a modest slice of remuneration through salary, as compared to the broader industry. If non-salary compensation dominates total pay, it's an indicator that the executive's salary is tied to company performance. A Look at Digital Realty Trust, Inc.'s Growth Numbers Over the past three years, Digital Realty Trust, Inc. has seen its funds from operations (FFO) grow by 12% per year. It achieved revenue growth of 3.7% over the last year. Overall this is a positive result for shareholders, showing that the company has improved in recent years. It's also good to see modest revenue growth, suggesting the underlying business is healthy. Looking ahead, you might want to check this free visual report on analyst forecasts for the company's future earnings.. Story continues Has Digital Realty Trust, Inc. Been A Good Investment? We think that the total shareholder return of 40%, over three years, would leave most Digital Realty Trust, Inc. shareholders smiling. So they may not be at all concerned if the CEO were to be paid more than is normal for companies around the same size. In Summary... As previously discussed, Bill is compensated more than what is normal for CEOs of companies of similar size, and which belong to the same industry. Importantly though, FFO growth and shareholder returns are very impressive over the last three years. Considering such exceptional results for the company, we'd venture to say CEO compensation is fair. The pleasing shareholder returns are the cherry on top. We wouldn't be wrong in saying that shareholders feel that Bill's performance creates value for the company. It is always advisable to analyse CEO pay, along with performing a thorough analysis of the company's key performance areas. That's why we did our research, and identified 4 warning signs for Digital Realty Trust (of which 1 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should know about in order to have a holistic understanding of the stock. Switching gears from Digital Realty Trust, if you're hunting for a pristine balance sheet and premium returns, this free list of high return, low debt companies is a great place to look. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. -- Africa is leveraging on robust cooperation with China to acquire capital, skills, technology and best practices required to back the war against deprivation. -- The COVID-19 crisis has increased poverty with the African Development Bank estimating that the pandemic will push between 28.2 million and 49.2 million more Africans into extreme poverty. -- African officials hold that the phenomenal success of China's poverty alleviation initiative that hinges on political goodwill, reform and opening up to the outside world, inspires the continent. NAIROBI, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Deila Zerga has struggled to provide basic needs to her kids amid deprivation rampant in her low income dwelling area on the northern suburb of Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia. The 50-year-old mother of six found her bearing in August when the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA) gave her a cash donation of 4,720 Ethiopian Birr (about 131 U.S. dollars) to help relieve the family's financial hardships that have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Zerga, who is heading an HIV positive household, had previously received cash donations twice from CFPA, which has been lending a helping hand to transform livelihoods of under-privileged households in the Ethiopian capital. "I bought a full dress with the first round of cash handout. The second round of cash came during the early days of COVID-19 outbreak in Ethiopia. I used it to buy food," Zerga told Xinhua during a recent interview. "The third round of cash handout came just as I was short of cash to buy teff (an Ethiopian staple crop). I'm happy the money came during this difficult period," Zerga added. Zerga's 11-year-old daughter Ekram Bashir was in high spirits as she recounted how the cash donations from CFPA fulfilled her desire to dress like her peers. "My mother has bought me shoes and clothes with the cash donation," said Bashir. The benevolence of CFPA has brought cheer to under-privileged households in Ethiopia since 2015, when the charity commenced operations in the Horn of Africa nation. Speaking to Xinhua, Daniel Worku, a project manager at CFPA, said the cash donation program to HIV positive households is a continuation of other pre-existing programs, including a school feeding project being done in various parts of Ethiopia. "In this project we give priority to those students who have HIV in their blood and also parents living in the same household who are HIV positive," Worku added. Worku said that with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing schools to be shut down, the cash donation to low income households serves as a kind of food security to households with children. VALUABLE EXPERIENCES FOR AFRICA The charitable activities of CFPA in Ethiopia, including support for school feeding programs, women empowerment and provision of clean water to households, mirror the view that China has bolstered efforts to eradicate poverty across the African continent. African leaders, policymakers and scholars said the continent is leveraging on robust cooperation with China to acquire capital, skills, technology and best practices required to back the war against deprivation. Namibia's President Hage Geingob said in a statement in early April that Namibia would like to draw lessons from China in poverty eradication, through closer bilateral cooperation and support. Geingob said the eradication of poverty and hunger in Namibia is a key policy objective of the Namibian government. "The Namibian economy has been severely affected by the outbreak of the coronavirus, which threatens our socio-economic stability, and the gains we have made to reverse poverty," Geingob added. The World Bank said in a report titled "Accelerating Poverty Reduction in Africa" that the share of Africans living in extreme poverty has fallen substantially, from 54 percent in 1990 to 41 percent in 2015, but due to high population growth during the same period, the number of poor people in Africa has actually increased from 278 million in 1990 to 413 million in 2015. According to the African Union, the COVID-19 crisis has increased poverty with the African Development Bank estimating that the pandemic will push between 28.2 million and 49.2 million more Africans into extreme poverty. China's development experience over the past decades offers key lessons to Africa, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said at the sixth African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development in Zimbabwe in February. "Just as China's remarkable achievements in lifting its people out of poverty contributed to major advances under the Millennium Development Goals (SDGs), so can Agenda 2063 have similar impacts on SDGs," said Mohammed. Agenda 2063 is Africa's strategic framework that aims to deliver on its goal for inclusive and sustainable development. Zimbabwe's Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing July Moyo said China's success in poverty alleviation offers valuable lessons for Zimbabwe as the country aims to attain a middle income status by 2030. "They (Chinese) were able to lift themselves out of poverty by using their own resources, by mobilizing their people, by using organizational methods that make sure that there is cohesiveness, that there is a sense of direction and strict adherence implementation guidelines," he said. The Nigerian government in 2019 set a 10-year target of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the most populous country on the continent. For Efem Ubi, a senior research fellow at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Nigeria can learn much from China in the process of poverty alleviation. Ubi said the question for African countries is how they can achieve Goal 1 of the SDGs, which aims to end poverty in all its forms by 2030. One way is to find out what lessons African countries can learn from China. Ubi said Africa can benefit from the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, because it will provide African countries with great opportunities to build their infrastructure as well as develop industrial capacity. AFRICA INSPIRED African officials hold that the phenomenal success of China's poverty alleviation initiative that hinges on political goodwill, reform and opening up to the outside world, inspires the continent. George Kwabena, a liaison officer at Ghana's Northern Development Authority, felt inspired during his visit to poverty-stricken areas in southwest China last year. "Actually, I was shocked by the infrastructure there, especially the transport connectivity, and the way the government resettled poor people is quite impressive," said Kwabena. "Through my trip, I learned grassroots officials in China have established standard databases for poor people, and that allows them to take targeted measures to alleviate poverty, which is a useful lesson for Ghana to learn," he said. The Ghanaian government has rolled out "One district, One Factory" policy in recent years, which aims to further open up its rural areas and woo more investors there. He praised China's innovative poverty alleviation efforts in developing rural communities through the use of e-commerce platforms. Raphael Tuju, secretary general of Kenya's ruling Jubilee Party and minister without portfolio, said he was impressed by China's achievement in lifting more than 700 million Chinese people out of poverty over the past few decades. "There is no precedent in the history of mankind. If China can achieve that, it gives us a flicker of hope and light at the end of the tunnel," he said. According to Tuju, his first encounter with China was when he was a child. He said, "The enduring image of China was mostly about the Chinese with straw hats in the rice fields." Afterwards, the picture about China was about streets with thousands of bicycles, he said. "But now, if you ask any Kenyan about China, the first thing is about the Standard Gauge Railway linking Mombasa and Nairobi, and Guangzhou, where the Kenyans go to buy clothes and other things they need." "There are problems of disease, problems of infrastructure and problems of poverty. Africa is just overloaded with problems," he said, adding that one of the biggest slums in Africa is in Nairobi. "But if you look at what has been achieved in China," Tuju said, "it gives us hope that something can be done in our lifetime." Mavis Witts was cleared of any wrongdoing after she was accused of being responsible for the death of Stephen Ferguson. (SWNS) An 83-year-old woman charged with killing a biker who was said to be doing over 100 mph at the time of a fatal crash has received an apology from a judge. Mavis Witts was cleared of any wrongdoing after she was accused of being responsible for the death of Stephen Ferguson, 51, on 21 April last year. The elderly motorist was charged with causing death by careless driving after she struck Mr Ferguson with her Renault Kangoo in Rugby, Warwickshire. However, a court heard the the motorcyclist was travelling at over 100 mph along a 50 mph road at the time of the smash and Witts could do nothing to avoid the collision. And after having legal proceedings lingering over her for the past 18 months, the pensioner was finally exonerated of any blame this week. Judge Sylvia de Bertodano apologised for the "distress" caused by her case after the prosecution offered no further evidence at Warwick Crown Court. The prosecution offered no further evidence at Warwick Crown Court. (Flickr) She told the defendant there was no suggestion she had done anything wrong and "it could have happened to anyone. The judge said: You may not get an apology from anyone else, so you are going to get one from me. It would be very distressing to be involved in such a collision, and to then get suggestions it was your fault, when it is perfectly clear that it is not, must be even more distressing. There is no suggestion at all that you did anything wrong. It could have happened to anyone. The court heard the tragic collision took place between Ferguson's powerful BMW S1000 RR motorbike and Witts's vehicle at a crossroads on the A45. She had pulled out of a side road into the path of the bike and Ferguson, from Long Lawford, was rushed to hospital where he later died. Witts, of Flecknoe, first appeared before magistrates charged with killing Ferguson on 12 February before her cases were put back due to the coronavirus pandemic. Read more: Aston Martin hit with four fines and a note from angry residents When her case was finally heard this week her defence barrister Michael Rawlinson said dash-cam footage he had obtained proved his client's innocence. Story continues The footage had enabled an expert to establish the speed the bike was doing which was said to be more than double the 50 mph speed limit. Witts entered a not guilty plea to the charge, which was accepted by prosecutor Hugh OBrien-Quinn, who said he would offer no evidence against her. OBrien-Quinn said: There is a joint report from the defence expert and the police expert which has concluded that the deceased was driving at in excess of 100 mph on his motorbike. When she looked, he would have been so far away that she concluded it would be safe [to pull out], and had he been doing the speed limit, she would have been able to do so. Judge de Bertodano replied: This is no kind of technicality, you are saying that she is entirely innocent of this charge. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo News UK Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 03:36:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People attend a meeting of G20 tourism ministers via video links in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 7, 2020. Tourism Ministers of the Group of 20 (G20) agreed on Wednesday to maximize the tourism sector's contribution to inclusive and sustainable development. (G20 Saudi Arabia/Handout via Xinhua) RIYADH, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Tourism Ministers of the Group of 20 (G20) agreed on Wednesday to maximize the tourism sector's contribution to inclusive and sustainable development. The ministers urged for further developing the sector as a key and resilient industry, which will contribute to the global economy and generate decent work, according to a statement of the Saudi G20 Presidency issued after a meeting. The officials addressed challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and steps to promote recovery of the sector. The meeting said that the sector contributed to 10.3 percent of the world's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 330 million jobs in 2019. The ministers said that the pandemic resulted in 60-80 percent decline in international tourism in 2020. They vowed to continue to work together to facilitate the sector's recovery from the pandemic and support those most impacted by the crisis within the sector. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, the G20 countries have been holding regular meetings to deal with the impacts of the deadly virus in various sectors. During the G20 leaders' summit in March, the G20 leaders vowed to pump more than 5 trillion U.S. dollars into the international economy. Enditem As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. 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While students and teachers continue remote learning at least through Nov. 5, clerks and other employees have been working in school buildings since before the start of the new year. But an independent arbitrator on Friday ruled that CPS violated its contract with the teachers union by making some employees work in person under what may not have been safe and healthful conditions. Big John the Tasmanian devil growls from the confines of his tree house as he makes his first appearance at the Wild Life Sydney Zoo in Sydney. Tasmanian devils, the carnivorous marsupials whose feisty, frenzied eating habits won the animals cartoon fame, have returned to mainland Australia for the first time in some 3,000 years. Conservation groups have recently released some cancer-free devils in a wildlife refuge on the mainland, and they plan to release more in the coming years. Their hope is that the species will thrive and improve the biodiversity. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith, File) Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 03:12:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close European Parliament rapporteur Jytte Guteland (L) speaks at a press conference following the disclosure of the vote results in Brussels, Belgium, Oct. 7, 2020. The European Parliament has shown support for a climate target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent by 2030 from the 1990 levels, according to the voting results announced by the parliament on Wednesday. (European Parliament/Benoit Bourgeois/Handout via Xinhua) BRUSSELS, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- The European Parliament has shown support for a climate target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent by 2030 from the 1990 levels, according to the voting results announced by the parliament on Wednesday. In the plenary voting late on Tuesday, the new target was approved with 352 votes in favor, 326 against, and 18 abstentions, within the framework of voting amendments to the proposed European Climate Law. The target is more ambitious than the one proposed by the European Commission which envisions the cut of emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030. "We are more than ever leading on climate ambition," tweeted Wednesday the chair of the parliament's environment committee Pascal Canfin, who submitted the specific amendment. "This is a historic moment. This is a historic law. This is the big moment," said Jytte Guteland, a Swedish Member of European Parliament, who was the Parliament rapporteur on the proposed European Climate Law, at a press conference on Wednesday, following the disclosure of the voting results from the previous day. The rapporteur said that the parliament sent "a strong signal" to work faster toward climate neutrality, adding that the first ten years are crucial if the European Union (EU) wants to respect the Paris Agreement. Other important clauses put to vote on Tuesday afternoon were climate neutrality by 2050 becoming binding, continuing to work on CO2 emission negativity after 2050, establishing a greenhouse gas budget, setting a new intermediate target for 2040 after assessment and establishing a European Climate Change Council (ECCC). The ECCC will complement the work of global and national similar bodies and evaluate progress at the European level, said Guteland. Independent experts working together with the European Environment Agency in Copenhagen will be hired, using data from EU member states, to provide the EU with feedback on their progress. The voting came three weeks after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen set the target of 55 percent emission cut by 2030 in her State of the Union speech and two weeks after China announced that it aims to have CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. "Do we have allies in this task? Yes, we do," said the commission's Vice-President Maros Sefcovic on Tuesday when addressing the plenary on behalf von der Leyen, who was at the time in self-quarantine for precaution against COVID-19. Besides China, Sefcovic also mentioned South Africa which will aim at carbon neutrality by 2050. Selling the commission's plans, Sefcovic said the EU must preserve its first mover advantage. "We must step up our climate ambition if we want the best green technologies to be European technologies," he added. More voting sessions are scheduled later on Wednesday on the European Climate Law, initially proposed by the commission in March this year. The Council of the EU has yet to make its decision before the draft is finally adopted. Enditem 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. 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. The body of Kumar (69), a 1973-batch IPS officer, was found hanging at his residence in Brockhurst, near Chhota Shimla, in the evening New Delhi/Shimla: Former CBI director Ashwani Kumar, who led the Aarushi murder investigation, was found hanging at his residence in Shimla on Wednesday, and officials suspect he committed suicide. The body of Kumar (69), a 1973-batch IPS officer, was found hanging at his residence in Brockhurst, near Chhota Shimla, in the evening, they added. Himachal Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjay Kundu, Shimla Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohit Chawla and other senior police officials reached the spot. A forensic team has also reached the spot. "We recovered a suicide note, in which he had written he is embarking on a new journey. His family members were present when he went inside the room, locked it and committed suicide by hanging himself with a nylon rope. The family does not suspect any foul play. We have seized the items in the room. The post-mortem will be conducted on Thursday morning," the DGP told PTI. A preliminary probe indicates that a sudden change in Kumar's active life over the last six months because of confinement at home could be a probable reason behind the drastic move, but the police are looking into all probabilities, the officials said. One of his neighbours told PTI that Kumar had gone for his evening walk as usual. After returning home, he went to the attic. The body was first found by a family member, who went to the attic to call Kumar for dinner, the neighbour said. Kumar is survived by his wife and son. He is remembered by his former colleagues and even the present officers as a soft-spoken gentleman who always wore a graceful smile. A resident of Nahan in Himachal Pradesh, Kumar became the director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2008, succeeding Vijay Shanker in the midst of the agency's probe into the Aarushi Talwar murder case, which was hogging media headlines. He had also served in the Special Protection Group elite force, which primarily guards the prime minister, and was appointed as the governor of Nagaland in 2013 by the UPA government, the officials said. A former DGP of Himachal Pradesh, Kumar was presently the vice chancellor of a private university in Shimla, they added. Flagstaff Unified School District has set its guidelines for a phased return to in-person classes, a process that, after certain health standards are met, will take several weeks to bring schools back to full operation, except for the families that choose to keep their students in the online learning program. In a virtual meeting Tuesday evening, the FUSD Governing Board agreed to use Coconino Countys weekly COVID-19 schools update, which has less of a delay than state data, to determine when it is safe to reopen schools. The board set its benchmarks for reopening to be more stringent than even state requirements. FUSD will wait until the ZIP code areas it serves are in the moderate community spread category for two consecutive weeks, COVID-19 incidence is less than 75 per 100,000 people, and percent positivity of testing is at 5% or below before starting its phased return to in-person learning. The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) recommends less than 100 cases per 100,000 and percent positivity below 7%. According to the latest Coconino County school report dated Oct. 2, the FUSD area falls within the substantial community spread category with 236 cases per 100,000 and percent positivity at 7%. Superintendent Michael Penca said Tuesday the goal with these thresholds is to avoid returning to school campuses when the area is only on the borderline of the moderate spread category, which is represented as yellow in the ADHS return-to-school benchmarks. We want to be able to provide that certainty for our staff, our families, our students, so we want to be a solid yellow because our desire is that, once we start that phased plan, were able to remain having that hybrid learning going on for a long period of time, Penca said. Once these standards are met, a four-week return-to-school plan will begin, starting with staff returning to district offices and schools the first week so they can prepare workspaces and be trained in safety protocols. Teachers will continue teaching remotely until the following week, when the first students return. Each student group will return to five days per week of in-person learning. Preschool, kindergarten, first, second, sixth, ninth and 12th grades, plus students in specialized programs, were selected to return to school first. Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Mary K. Walton said these grades were chosen to provide orientations to students who are at a new school and to serve those who need in-person instruction, as well as to provide opportunities for post-secondary planning for high school seniors. This group does not include all special education students, only those who spend the majority of their school days outside their regular classroom in a specialized classroom like the Beacon and Lifeskills Programs. Other students receiving special education services, such as those with 504 plans, will return with their grade level. During the third week of the plan, grades 3, 8, 10 and 11 would return and during the final week, the remaining grades -- 4, 5 and 7 -- would go back. Full online learning is being offered to all families once the phased reopening begins. Penca estimated this option will be selected by 10% of the district, or about 1,000 families. Based on current data, the earliest the first phase of students would be able to return would be the last week of October, unless the next county report still shows substantial transmission, Penca explained. In that case, the plan would be pushed back another week. If the local data worsens over the course of two weeks with more than 150 cases per 100,000 people and positivity more than 10% district administrators will initiate a return to full remote learning. I think were just going to have to monitor this on a week-by-week basis and we have the data available to us to do that, Penca said. Much like in previous board meetings on the return-to-school plan, public comments were often completely polarized, with some demanding the immediate return to in-person learning and others pleading against it. Of the 69 comments this week, a few were also submitted from parents of children attending local public charter schools, who asked the board to consider reopening because other Flagstaff schools such as Northland Preparatory Academy, Basis Flagstaff, and Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy often follow FUSDs calendar and actions. Jemma Thompson, 11, a sixth grader at NPA, also submitted a letter asking for a return to in-person classes for FUSD to help not only her two brothers, who attend DeMiguel Elementary, but also students at her school. She expressed her concerns about technical and internet issues, teacher stress and distractions that have made online learning especially difficult. My brother and I are working so hard every day just to pass and maybe learn something new. We really hope we can go back to school as soon as possible because we cant handle it anymore. No one can. I really hope you guys listen and open our schools so not only me but everyone has a chance to learn, Jemma wrote. Though the layout of the phased return has been approved, FUSD has yet to determine specific details such as how performance-based classes will operate as well as how teachers will be supported in balancing teaching online and in-person simultaneously. However, general COVID-19 health and safety procedures have already been established and will include wearing masks while at school. Kaitlin Olson can be reached at the office at kolson@azdailysun.com or by phone at (928) 556-2253. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. 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. PARIS (Reuters) - American Sofia Kenin's amazing year continued as the fourth seed outmanoeuvred big-hitting Czech Petra Kvitova 6-4 7-5 to reach her first French Open final on Thursday. The Moscow-born, Florida-based 21-year-old gave a masterclass of game management on a windy Court Phillipe Chatrier and will face Polish teenager Iga Swiatek on Saturday with a second Grand Slam title of the year in touching distance. Kenin, who beat Spain's Garbine Muguruza to win the Australian Open in February, proved too solid for the 30-year-old Kvitova who had not lost a set en route to her first French Open semi-final since 2012. A mixture of crafty shot placement, superb defence and some scorching backhand winners, combined with too many Kvitova mistakes, put Kenin in command and her only wobble came when she served for the match at 5-4 in the second set but was broken. When she got a second chance to serve it out at 6-5, however, the American could not be denied as Kvitova fired a forehand wide on match point -- a shot that rather summed up the Czech's performance. "I had tough matches these past two weeks. It's amazing to be in the final," Kenin said on court. "I'm going to enjoy it and then tomorrow get ready for the final. "She's such a tough player with such an aggressive game, huge serve. I knew I needed to play my best tennis. "I'm super proud of myself." UNCOMFORTABLE KVITOVA For seventh seed Kvitova, who made her return here in 2017 after a six-month lay-off due to a knife attack during a burglary at her home, it was a disappointing end to a tournament in which the door to a first French Open title had opened wide. Despite all her experience, the left-handed two-time Wimbledon champion never looked comfortable in the gusty wind, her serve not functioning and 31 errors flying off her strings. "Definitely the conditions were pretty abnormal," Kvitova told reporters. "But anyway, I think that Sofia played great tennis today. She was better on the court today." Story continues Kvitova looked leaden-footed early on as she dropped serve twice to trail 4-1 to the nimble Kenin and, although she managed to grab one break back, the eager American sealed the opener on her second set point having double-faulted on her first. Kvitova showed more intensity early in the second set, screaming loudly as she held for 2-1 and then squandering a break point as Kenin stood firm under pressure. Kenin broke serve in the next game, dragging Kvitova wide with a backhand before rolling a forehand into the vacant court. Kvitova began to swing more freely and had four break back points in the sixth game but Kenin saved them all and stayed solid to 5-4, only to suddenly tighten up and gift Kvitova an unlikely escape route. However the Czech, who put her tracksuit top back on for the last three games as skies darkened and the temperature dropped, could not take advantage as she dropped serve again. Kenin was wound up like a spring but kept her cool when it mattered to reach the final in only her third French Open. (Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris) 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. President Donald Trump stands on the Blue Room Balcony upon returning to the White House in Washington, D.C., Oct. 5, after leaving Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md, where he received COVID-19 treatment. The Trump administration has defined China as its biggest threat and has raised the need for a multilateral security structure in the Asia-Pacific region to counter China. AP-Yonhap US effort to expand strategic group set to aggravate Korea's diplomatic dilemma By Do Je-hae U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Japan this week to participate in the second ministerial meeting of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, an informal strategic forum of the U.S. Japan, Australia and India known as the Quad. Despite the political uncertainties that have arisen from U.S. President Donald Trump's COVID-19 infection, Pompeo went ahead with the meeting as planned Oct. 6 with his counterparts Japan's Toshimitsu Motegi, India's Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and Australia's Marise Payne. The U.S. secretary of state's visit to Japan was seen to reflect the importance Washington places on the strategic group as a way to push back against China's increasing influence in the Asia-Pacific region. The four countries did not issue a joint statement. But the meeting discussed joint response to common challenges such as COVID-19 and the realization of a "free and open Indo-Pacific," according to an Oct. 6 statement from Japan, the chair of this year's Quad conference. Although the top U.S. diplomat skipped a planned visit to Seoul on the occasion of the Quad meeting, his trip to the region for the dialogue during a pandemic has captured a lot of attention in Korea. This is because Quad is increasingly becoming a huge key word in Korea's diplomacy amid rising speculation that Washington will seek to expand it to include more U.S. allies as part of efforts to build a global coalition against China, which Pompeo has defined as the biggest threat to the U.S. "The greatest external threat that the United States faces over the medium and long term is the threat by the regime in China today, the Chinese Communist Party led by General Secretary Xi Jinping," Pompeo said during an interview with Fox News, Sept. 28. China has lashed out at Pompeo's remarks. "When Pompeo claimed to build out a global coalition against China, he was only talking nonsense. He won't see that day. And his successors won't see that day either, because that day will never, ever come," Wang Wenbin, spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, said during a press conference, Sept. 29. Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a statement at a high-level meeting held by the United Nations to mark the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women via video, Oct. 1. Beijing sees the Quad as unconducive to regional peace. Xinhua-Yonhap Multilateral alliance in Asia-Pacific As the U.S. strategizes how to contain the increasingly assertive China, some key Washington officials have been underscoring the need for a multilateral structure in the Asia Pacific. This has fanned speculation about the U.S. move to expand the Quad, with the aim of formalizing a NATO-like alliance. During a recent forum, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said, "It is a reality that the Indo-Pacific region is actually lacking in strong multilateral structures. They don't have anything of the fortitude of NATO or the European Union. The strongest institutions in Asia oftentimes are not inclusive enough. There is certainly an invitation there at some point to formalize a structure like this." Experts contacted by The Korea Times were divided on the prospects of Washington actually moving to enlarge the Quad, inviting more regional allies such as South Korea. Some say it is in the interests of the U.S. to expand the Quad and raise its credibility to more effectively counter China. But skepticisms remain about the realization of a NATO-like multilateral framework in the Asia-Pacific for various reasons. Gregg A. Brazinsky, a professor at the Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University, noted that some countries do not share common security objectives. "The U.S. would likely want to see South Korea play some role in the Quad. At the same time, I think developing multilateralism in Asia has proven more difficult than in Europe and that will likely be the case for the foreseeable future," Brazinsky told The Korea Times. "There are some common threats to countries in the region but there are many objectives they do not share. For instance, one of India's priorities when it comes to security will always be Pakistan but this is not an important priority to Japan. Similarly, India has not been as concerned about the threat from North Korea. Thus even though they have recently signed a new 10-year security pact, it may not lead to true multilateralism." Some experts also question the need for NATO-like alliance under the current geopolitical situation in the Asia-Pacific. "If we understand why NATO was first conceived during the Cold War, it was to prevent the recurrence of another great war and to deter the common threat posed by the Soviet Union. Like-minded nations joined together to form and institutionalize this security alliance as a united bloc because there were overlapping interests," J. James Kim, senior research fellow at the Center for American Politics and Policy, Asan Institute for Policy Studies, told The Korea Times. "The question is whether countries in Asia see a threat today in the Pacific that is comparable to the threat that Soviet Union posed for the Europeans after WWII." More importantly, there are concerns that a multilateral security architecture in the Asia-Pacific could escalate tension in the region because of how China may react to such an organization. "If there is not enough consensus, it will be a challenge to form and institutionalize an alliance similar to NATO. But if there are enough countries who share common interests and values, and also agree on the threat perception in the Indo-Pacific, then we may eventually get to something that approaches NATO. If such a multilateral security architecture is formed in the Pacific, it may pose a threat to countries like China," Kim said. "The question as to whether this will increase tension in Northeast Asia depends on what China does. Just as China may respond belligerently, it may decide that it is not in Beijing's best interest to challenge or take on such a multilateral security apparatus on its own. In this case, China may resort to one of several strategies. One may be to form an alliance of its own much like the Warsaw Pact that the Soviets created during the Cold War. Or it may engage in pressure tactics to pressure or dissuade countries in the region from working with the U.S allied nations." Mason Richey, professor of international politics at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, said it is possible that the U.S. will attempt to expand the Quad, but there are hurdles. "Beijing is likely to push back against an expanded Quad, which it views as containment, and this will give pause to any new states invited to join an expanded Quad." President Moon Jae-in speaks during a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Oct. 6. Struggling to cope with the U.S.-China rivalry, the Moon administration has faced concerns that it may be unprepared for a burgeoning debate over Korea's role in a possible "Quad plus" framework. Yonhap Korea's response to Quad expansion Amid the escalating U.S.-China rivalry, the diplomatic community here has underlined their concerns about a possible invitation from the U.S., Korea's most important ally, to a "Quad plus" framework. Such a request is feared to place Korea in a very difficult position as the Moon Jae-in administration has focused heavily on improving relations with China, an indispensable trading partner. "American pressures on South Korea will put it in a difficult position. South Korea does not want to jeopardize its relationship with China but growing Sino-American frictions may force it to choose," Brazinsky said. "I think South Korea should start using its own soft power and political capital to play more of a leadership role in the region. It should try to help China and the United States to mediate their differences instead of allowing itself to get caught up and pressured by the rivalry between them." It is in Korea's interest to become a more active contributor to regional security and other common areas of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific by taking part in a multilateral system like the Quad plus, according to some experts. "South Korea is a major stakeholder sharing values and interests with Quad members. Lack of coordination would make Seoul look like a free-rider on regional security, susceptible to bullying by Beijing," said Leif-Eric Easley, associate professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. "The Quad is not yet at a stage to even aspire to be like NATO. NATO has a mutual defense treaty, a headquarters, a governing council, and a secretary general. It won the Cold War and has undertaken military operations. The Quad is much less formal but can benefit from institution-building. It has broadened in scope from disaster relief efforts and maritime security exercises to include political cooperation on peaceful management of territorial disputes, high standards for infrastructure development, and common security in cyberspace. The Quad is not an anti-China alliance, it is expanding cooperation among like-minded countries that favor a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific." "Korea should join the U.S. to prevent Chinese revisionism," said Brad Glosserman, senior adviser of the Pacific Forum CSIS. "To the extent that China seeks to change regional rules to its unilateral advantage, then Seoul's best interest is in preventing that. But I don't think that means joining with the U.S. but should be framed as joining with like-minded governments to protect the status quo." Lee Seong-hyon, director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the Sejong Institute, also underlined the need for Korea to establish a solid strategy in dealing with the U.S.-China conflict. "South Korea should have thought through this in advance and come up with a response protocol at least three years ago, when the U.S.-China conflict really began to intensify, starting from the trade dispute, which later expanded to the security realms," Lee said. "The Moon Jae-in government has been complacent, lacked a historical sense of how grave the geopolitical landscape surrounding the Korean Peninsula will be and how South Korea is very vulnerable to the fluid U.S.-China rivalry." People One source says of the couple: "She knows what Donald wants from her, but the rest of her life is dictated by her own interests. Each has come to respect what the other wants and needs" Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 23:40:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LUSAKA, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 pandemic has presented opportunities for China and Africa to take their cooperation to another level, an expert in international relations said on Thursday. Aaron Siwale, lecturer of Political Science at the University of Zambia, said the COVID-19 may have hurt the economies of both China and African countries but noted that this relationship should not stop but a new paradigm should be looked at to enhance the relationship. In an interview, he acknowledged that Africa may not be able to get the kind of support from China like before due to the pandemic as it may have to channel resources to revive its industries. According to him, Africa should take a bold step and loan China raw materials needed to revive industries because it will have a ripple effect on the continent. "We cannot always assume that China has developed and they do need any help. Africa can actually help China by providing raw materials. This is going to be a positive move," he said. He said the cooperation between China and Africa in the last 20 years has been symbiotic and positive as it has resulted in massive infrastructure developments on the continent. He said reports that China's ties with Africa were exploitative should be dismissed because the two have clearly defined what they need from each other. "On China's interactions with Africa, China has aspirations that it seeks to achieve and those aspirations are to maintain or grow its economy and the African countries are equally looking to amass some economic assistance from China," he added. He acknowledged that China has had a great influence in the development of the African continent which dates back to the pre-independence period, adding that this was evidenced by the massive infrastructure developed. He noted that the difference between China and the western world's relations with Africa borders on the fact that China has refused to get entangled in African politics but the relationship has been purely on economic terms. African governments, he said, were keen to enhance ties with China because they have seen the benefits that have so far accrued from the ties, but noted that African countries need to improve on their negotiations with China. He further said African countries will do well in promoting the cooperation by ensuring that they use the resources given for intended purposes instead of mismanaging them. He said Africa should emulate China which has zero-tolerance to corruption by ensuring prudent use of resources donated by the Asian nation. Enditem STORRS, CT The former chairman of the University of Connecticut's board of trustees and his wife have donated $1 million to UConn in an effort to "help students struggling from the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic," the UConn Foundation announced Thursday. The from Dr. John W. Rowe and his wife, Valerie, is designed to "provide an immediate infusion of spendable cash to buoy students in the Rowe Scholars program, many of whom had lost on-campus and summer jobs and struggled to pay tuition," UConn Foundation officials said. The gift "doubled their scholarships" and helped with books, fees, and other pressing expenses, according to the announcement. I was surprised, thrilled, and grateful when I heard about it, said Meghan Long, of Middletown, a Rowe Scholar majoring in physiology and neurobiology. Because of COVID-19, her summer internship at Hartford Hospital had been canceled, officials said. She was "scrambling" to pay for fall tuition. The Rowe Scholars program was initiated 16 years ago. Through it, UConn "recruits underrepresented Connecticut students with high financial need into the health sciences." The program provides scholarships and mentoring to prepare students for a broad range of health care jobs, such as, pharmacists, nurses, and physicians. "This thoughtful gift could not come at a more critical time for these students and the University. We are so grateful to the Rowes for their generous support," UConn President Tom Katsouleas said. Rowe, who was the chairman of the UConn Board of Trustees from 2003 to 2009, said he still feels a strong connection to UConn and the Rowe Scholars program. He was chairman and CEO of Aetna at the time and steered the university through a "period of tremendous growth." He oversaw the upgrade and expansion of the campus and was "instrumental in increasing student enrollment and the university's national academic ranking." Story continues The Rowes, both academics, live in New York City. John Rowe teaches at Columbia University, where he is the Julius B. Richmond Professor of Health Policy and Aging in the School of Public Health. Valerie Rowe, who holds a doctorate degree, is a retired associate professor at Fordham Universitys School of Education. The Rowes said they hope the Rowe Scholars program helps to start closing "racial disparities" in the medical field. "It's nice to see the impact it's made on them and the impact that it will make going forward as they get out in the workforce," Valerie Rowe said. "In the long run, I think it will make a difference." Jennifer Lease Butts, who oversees the Rowe Scholars program as director of the Honors Program, said donations like this one help UConn attract and support top students from Connecticut. "The Rowe Scholars program is a wonderful example of the ways support from donors helps us attract the best students to UConn," Lease Butts said. "This program makes a huge difference for students, providing both the ability to afford college and the benefits of a community of caring and supportive peers who share a commitment to becoming a health professional." This article originally appeared on the Across Connecticut Patch 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. 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 20:10:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HANOI, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam recorded 1 new confirmed case of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing its total tally to 1,100 with 35 deaths, according to the health ministry. The latest case is a 29-year-old Vietnamese man who recently entered the country from abroad and was quarantined upon arrival, according to the ministry. The ministry said that 1,023 COVID-19 patients have been given an all-clear as of Thursday. Meanwhile, about 14,250 people are being quarantined and monitored in the country, the ministry said. Vietnam has gone through 36 straight days without any COVID-19 cases in the community, according to the ministry. Enditem Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon reacts as she takes questions during First Minister's Questions at the Scottish Parliament - AFP Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of "taking people for fools" over her "absurd" claim she had "forgotten" about a meeting at which she was informed about sexual misconduct allegations against Alex Salmond. Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tories' Holyrood leader, said Ms Sturgeon's evidence to a Holyrood inquiry over her role in her government's botched handling of the allegations "beggars belief". In fiery exchanges at First Minister's Questions, Ms Davidson accused the SNP leader of misleading parliament over what she knew and when and an "abuse of power" for holding secret discussions with Mr Salmond that were not minuted. Ms Davidson suggested Ms Sturgeon's "sudden memory loss" was because she did not want her involvement to become public and demanded a full judicial inquiry to overcome the "secrecy, evasion and unbelievable nonsense coming from the SNP." Ms Sturgeon said she understood why people would "raise an eyebrow" but doubled down on her claim that she had forgotten a meeting in March 2018 with Geoff Aberdein, Mr Salmond's former chief of staff, at which he informed her of the sexual misconduct claims. She originally told Holyrood she only found out about the claims when Mr Salmond visited her home on April 2 that year, only for it to emerge during his criminal trial this year that there was an earlier meeting with Mr Aberdein on March 29. Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, in the Scottish Parliament - AFP In her evidence to the inquiry, published on Wednesday, she admitted for the first time that the latter "covered the fact that Alex Salmond wanted to see me urgently about a serious matter, and I think it did cover the suggestion that the matter might relate to allegations of a sexual nature." However, she claimed she had "forgotten" the meeting until late January or early February last year as it took place shortly after First Minister's Questions "and in the midst of a busy day." Story continues This was ridiculed yesterday by Ms Davidson, who said she had checked the official record for that day's First Minister's Questions "when we ended up talking about the Arctic strategy, which is not something to cause anyone to forget sexual assault allegations." The pressure on Ms Sturgeon over her account intensified as Mr Salmond accused her government of trying to "malign his reputation" by reversing its judicial review defeat to him by the backdoor. Alex Salmond with Nicola Sturgeon before their relationship broke down - PA The former First Ministers solicitor said the Scottish Government was trying to put material into the public domain which had already been ruled unlawful and defective. John Swinney, Ms Sturgeon's deputy, last month said the Scottish Government planned to return to court to seek a ruling over whether it could release documents related to its judicial review case. But David McKie, of Levy & McRae, told the Holyrood inquiry into the Salmond affair that the SNP Governments actions were extraordinary and an attempt to duck responsibility for his own failures. If it succeeded, he warned it would defeat entirely the purpose and effect of the court action successfully undertaken by our client. Mr McKie urged MSPs to make it clear that the inquiry did not want to be part of the unjustifiable attack on Mr Salmond. In a separate letter, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) told the inquiry it could legally access documents withheld by the SNP Government if it volunteered them. The cross-party committee conducting the investigation is now expected to write to SNP ministers and Mr Salmond demanding the information, which his allies claim supports his allegations he was a victim of a conspiracy. .@RuthDavidsonMSP It is beyond belief that the First Minister cannot recall a meeting where she learnt for the first time that there were allegations of sexual misconduct being levelled against her predecessor and mentor of two decades. pic.twitter.com/BdghIKZHLA Scottish Conservatives (@ScotTories) October 8, 2020 The correspondence was published the week after the inquiry halted its proceedings, blaming "obstruction" by the SNP and Scottish Government. Mr Salmond won a judicial review last year when Scotlands highest civil court found that the way the Scottish Government investigated sexual misconduct allegations against him was unlawful and "tainted with apparent bias". The committee's inquiry was kick-started in March this year when Mr Salmond was acquitted of 13 sex offences at the High Court in Edinburgh. Ms Sturgeon told parliament at the time that the inquiry could have whatever material it wanted, but her government has since withheld evidence on legal grounds and tried to block witnesses. Speaking following First Minister's Questions, Ms Davidson said: "The First Minister has a reputation as a master of detail, yet she claims to have forgotten the first time she learned of serious allegations against her predecessor and mentor. The absurd claims are mounting up. "Were asked to believe that theres nothing wrong with the First Minister misleading parliament by holding a secret meeting, claiming to forget about it, and keeping it hidden as late as June." She also highlighted Ms Sturgeon's husband's evidence to the inquiry, in which he sought to explain leaked text messages in which he apparently called for pressure to be applied to the Metropolitan Police to investigate Mr Salmond. Peter Murrell, who is also the SNP's chief executive, claimed his intention was to advise people who had contacted him that "their questions should be addressed to the Police" rather than the party. But Ms Davidson said: "Potential abuse of power and office is a serious charge. If the First Minister thinks it can be explained away by tales about a forgetful Nicola Sturgeon and a clumsy Peter Murrell, they must take people for fools." Ruth Davidson MSP, Conservative lead in the Scottish Parliament attends First Minister's Questions at the Scottish Parliament - AFP Ms Sturgeon said her April 2, 2018 meeting with Mr Salmond in her dining room was "seared on my memory" and it had "overwritten in my mind a much more fleeting, opportunistic meeting that took place a few days earlier." She insisted her evidence was a "full and frank account" of her involvement and "I have got nothing to hide in all this." However, she attacked Ms Davidson for not asking about the pandemic instead, arguing that it was of more interest to Scots. Ms Sturgeon held five discussions with Mr Salmond over her government's investigation in spring and summer 2018, including two at her home, but they were not minuted and she did not inform her most senior mandarin about the first one for two months. However, she repeated her claim that she was trying to "protect the confidentiality and integrity" of the Scottish Government's complaints process. The inquiry wrote directly to the courts earlier this month asking for access to more documents from the judicial review case after SNP ministers refused to hand them over. Pam McFarlane, director and principal clerk of session and judiciary, replied that the various productions generally remain the property of whichever side lodged them with the court. But she said both the Government and Mr Salmond had already withdrawn or "borrowed" their productions from the court, and could therefore share them with the inquiry. In an intervention that placed further pressure on Ms Sturgeon, she also said the two sides could also withdraw more material and share that. If they refused, she said the committee would have to seek a court order but there was no guarantee of success. Marlan Burki, who was principal of St. Joseph Catholic School in Beatrice last year and principal of a Catholic school in Omaha for 13 years prior to that, faces a federal charge of production of child pornography. The complaint against Burki in U.S. District Court is sealed, and a hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. The charge is punishable by 15 to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted, followed by supervised release that could last from five years to life. Both the Lincoln and Omaha dioceses released statements Tuesday saying officials at both schools are cooperating with federal law enforcement officers investigating the case. Burki was principal of All Saints School from 2006-18 and at the Beatrice school for the 2019-20 school year. The Rev. Nicholas Kipper, director of communications for the Lincoln Diocese, said the school didn't renew Burki's contract in May but it had nothing to do with any criminal allegations. St. Joseph has no record of Burki being accused of sexual misconduct with minors during his tenure at the school, a statement from the Lincoln Diocese says. The Omaha Archdiocese said the same thing of his tenure at All Saints. The Archdiocese of Omaha remains committed to the protection of young people and vulnerable adults, the prevention of abuse, healing of victims and cooperating with civil authorities, said Deacon Tim McNeil, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Omaha schools. If anyone is concerned about Mr. Burkis past actions, he or she should contact law enforcement." Burki, who now lives with his wife near Tecumseh, previously taught in Whitman and two other Catholic schools in Omaha: Assumption-Guadalupe and Jesuit Academy before becoming principal at All Saints. Latest missing persons cases in Nebraska Reach the writer at 402-473-7226 or mreist@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSreist Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. A former representative of Tehran to Iran's Majlis parliament, Faezeh Hashemi, is speaking out about the presence of Israel's Zionist regime near the Iranian border, clarifying that Israel needs not to be near Iran to hit it. Speaking to the Arman-i Melli daily last Tuesday in Tehran, Hashemi highlighted the "undeniable fact" that Israel has "occupied Palestine and ruthlessly oppressed its people," but that Iran must "be updated on the world stage and make decisions commensurate with its interests" to "maintain its dominance." Iran's goal should be "protecting the national interests and resources, as well as the rights of the people," Hashemi argued, reiterating, "to put it in a nutshell, maintaining the [Islamic Republic] establishment, and its goals, are the foremost obligation." Hashemi was echoing the founder of the Islamic regime, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who once said that even the principles of Islam could be suspended for the sake of preserving the establishment. The younger daughter of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a white-turbaned clergy once presumed Iran's second-strongest man after Khomeini, Hashemi added that "as no country's policy is eternal, all issues in Iran should need updating under the national resources and interests, and the rights of the people." Hashemi went even further by warning that Grand Ayatollahs should also "update their fatwas," otherwise they would lose their followers. Since its inception after the downfall of Iran's pro-West monarch in 1979, the Islamic Republic has denied Israel's right to exist, describing it as the "usurper regime" of the first qibla of Muslims (Quds or Jerusalem), and emphasizing solidarity with the Palestinians. The current Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has repeatedly predicted that Israel's policies will eventually lead to its "destruction." Hashemi also referred to Muslims other than Palestinians who suffer oppression, including Uyghurs in China and Chechens in Russia. The Uyghurs and Chechens are in the same situation as the Palestinians are. Hashemi argued, noting "Still, the Islamic Republic has close ties with Russia and China, and even grants them concessions." Referring to the normalization of the relations between the Persian Gulf sheikhdoms, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom of Bahrain with Israel, Hashemi reminded readers that Israel "has accepted the UAE condition and has stopped the annexation of Palestinian territories and expanding settlements for now." While clergy-dominated Iran leaders dismissed the UAE and Bahrain rapprochement with Israel as "treachery," Hashemi argued that Qatar also mediated between Hamas and Tel Aviv after the UAE-Israel agreement, and they have also reached some agreements. Hashemi maintained, "Oman has also approved the UAE-Bahrain agreements with Israel, while Iran has good relations with Qatar and Oman. Therefore, Tehran's policies must be convincing." Arman-i Melli then inquired why Hashemi's father, twice President (1989-97) the Speaker of Majlis (1980-89), the Chairman of the influential Expediency Council (1989-2017), and the Chairman of the Assembly of Experts (2007-2011), failed to take any steps to change Tehran's policy towards Israel. "My father had asserted that where our interests require, we should engage. He also said that it is permissible to devise policies that might be contradictory to the 'principles' of the regime," Hashemi responded. Notorious for being bold and not mincing her words, Hashemi told a videoconference at the University of Stanford's Center for Iranian Studies, "Iranian ruling establishment today is neither revolutionary nor religious." At the same conference about two months ago, Hashemi referred to Iranian women's plight and their suffering under many pressures. "It has been years since the Islamic Revolution's inception, and lots of things are out of control," she said. "In addition to the hurdles created by the fundamentalists, the people's disappointment with the so-called reformists has contributed to the regime's reluctance toward any change." Hashemi also blasted some parts of the so-called pro-reform leaders for siding with the regime during the widespread 2017 and 2019 anti-Islamic Republic uprisings, adding that "some reformists issued statements that did not correspond to the realities of society." Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, 57, published the first women's only magazine in the Islamic Republic entitled "Woman." She was Tehran's representative to the Islamic Consultative Assembly from 1996-2000. In 2011, she was sentenced to six months imprisonment and five years deprivation of political, cultural, and press activities on charges of "propaganda activities against the regime." Arman-i Melli published Hashemi's proposal on the need to change the policy of Iran against Israel on the same day that the Foreign Ministers of Israel and the UAE visited the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin during their first face-to-face meeting in Germany. Riga City, Latvia -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/08/2020 -- Yep Coin is a multifaceted solution for a modern world, and this coin is ready to change the way people transact and connect financially. It provides a way to send and receive payments and enhances the user's ability to buy stuff online with Yep Coin. After making an account, there are a lot of things that will benefit the entire community, starting from the lucrative reward generation program. Streaming ahead with a global approach and phase-wise reward generation. Yep Coin also expands the user's ability to receive payments without any restrictions and limitations. It is a borderless payment system that nips the loopholes or lacks left over by other similar payment systems. And because it is a cryptocurrency, the users can also get staking rewards and generate ad revenue. Rest assured that Yep Coin works under the ambit of a registered company in Estonia, Yep Corp, which is something not possessed by many other companies. Furthermore, the Spec Project Yep Coin has copyright issued by the federal authority. Yep Me Link to Receive Payments The Yep Coin founders are diverting from the traditional wallet address systems that are without a doubt, complex and meticulous. Here, the users are provided with a Yep Me link that acts as a gateway for transactions. The Yep Me link is a URL address that is shareable and highly secure for all the users to send and receive payments. Yep Me gives the users the freedom to share the money receiving a link from any other user. However, the money transferred through the link will be in Yep Coin. Furthermore, there is no minimum limit to transfer the funds through the Yep Me link. Any smallest denomination possible can be shared. Some of the use cases where the Yep Me link can work smoothly and facilitate hassle-free payments include royalties, crowdfunding, payments to authors, designers, and any other professional, auctions, advertisement payments, and product payments. The best part is that the users can embed the link on the social media channels, messengers, and Whatsapp to share the link and receive payments through them. Also, the senders do not necessarily need a credit card to send the payments to the users. It can be done by any other method which seems appropriate for the sender. Yep Coin has eliminated the need to build and maintain a website to sell products. Compared to the traditional methods for making a sale, the marketers used to run newspaper ads, which were replaced by TV adverts, Website ads, and then social media networking. But, with Yep Coin, even something as simple as the SMS service can help the users make the sale and even receive payment without any restrictions. Staking and Advert Rewards with Yep Coin There are two criteria for initiating the reward generation with Yep Coin. They are the amount of money any user holds in the wallet and the wallet status, active or inactive. For instance, a user with 1000 Yep Coin but an inactive wallet status will be replaced with a user that has 500 Yep Coin and an active wallet. Furthermore, the reward generation depends on the disposition of the Yep Coin in the user's wallet. The amount of rewards is directly proportional to the disposition rate. To start receiving the staking rewards, the user wallets must be left active for the entire day for a week. Due to this, leave active sequence, the user's wallet becomes a chain link in the Yep network. The user's active wallet will automatically become a transaction validator and earn rewards for the solicitation provided. Every transaction validator receives 20% of the fees charged for said transaction. In terms of staking, Yep Coin does not allow the companies to stake as of yet. At present, only individual users and solo sellers can stake. For the advert rewards, the users can proffer the payment receiving page for different sorts of advertisements. The ads on display need approval before they are put on display. Lastly, the users have another option to earn money, which is by operating a master node. To become a master node operator, the users need to have at least 20,000 Yep Coins in the wallet. Yep Coin is merging a multitude of payment systems and integrating them on the platform to bring more stability and efficiency to the system. So, this is not just a payment gateway, but Yep Coin is a fully decentralized financial system working securely, quickly, and with 100% transparency. That is why the users can also conduct anonymous transactions via the platform without any traces. Yep Coin Tokenomics The Yep Coin works on the Quark algorithm with a ticker YEP and 70 million of the total supply. The Pre-mine phase worked with the Proof of Work concept, and post that, the algorithm works on Proof of Stake. To buy the coin, users can visit Coingecko and Coinmarketcap or visit the Yep Store. The users can also shop for apparel products on the Yep Store and pay for them with Yep Coin or in pound sterling or USD. Yep Coin is presented as an alternative to PayPal, and its global appeal is beginning to turn heads. It addresses all the issues and limitations leftover by PayPal or any other similar system. To Sum it Up A system that works on giving accessibility and better tools to the user can perform better than others. Yep Coin is solely focussing on giving the power of seamless transactions in the hands of its users. From receiving an unlimited amount of money from anywhere in the world with nothing but a single link is liberalizing, innovative, and efficient. The users will be able to transfer money without any restrictions and with a relatively lower fee. About Cryptoshib Criptoshib tries to keep crypto enthusiasts updated with the latest happenings and stories from the crypto world. We try to post stories about projects and people of the crypto and blockchain communities from around the world. Media Contact https://cryptoshib.com/yep-coin-multifaceted-payment-portal/ The uncharacteristically pungent editorial called for change: When it comes to the response to the largest public health crisis of our time, our current political leaders have demonstrated that they are dangerously incompetent. We should not abet them and enable the deaths of thousands more Americans by allowing them to keep their jobs. Donald Trump and attorney general Bill Barr (Getty Images) During a live phone-in on Fox Business, Donald Trump complained again that not enough of his political enemies have been arrested and said attorney general Bill Barr could find himself in a sad situation if he doesnt start rounding them up. The blunt warning comes after Mr Trump left Walter Reed Medical Centre and returned to Twitter with a blizzard of angry tweets and retweets, many of them calling for the indictment of Obama administration figures. The presidents rambling and ill-tempered interview with Maria Bartiromo on Thursday saw him run through a long list of his usual grievances, but he was particularly rancorous on the subject of supposed Obama-era crimes against him for which he wants to see his predecessor indicted, along with Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and many others. Unless Bill Barr indicts these people for crimes, declared the president, the greatest political crime in the history of our country, then were gonna get little satisfaction unless I win. Because I wont forget it. But these people should be indicted, this was the greatest political crime in the history of our country. And that includes Obama, and that includes Biden; these are people that spied on my campaign, and we have everything. Now they say they have much more, and I say Bill, you got plenty. You dont need any more. Read more: How many presidents have lost a second term? Comparing Mr Barr unflatteringly to former acting director of national intelligence Richard Grennell and successor John Ratcliffe, both of whom have released documents related to the Russia investigation, Mr Trump gave his attorney general a warning. To be honest, Bill Barrs gonna go down either as the greatest attorney general in the history of the country or hes gonna go down as a very sad, sad situation. I mean, Ill be honest with you. Hes got all the information he needs. They wanna get more, more, more, they keep getting more, I say: You dont need any more. You got more stuff than anybodys ever had. Story continues Mr Trump has complained for years that various Democrats should be locked up, even telling Hillary Clinton to her face at a 2016 debate that she would be in jail if he won. (His administration has not investigated her in any meaningful way.) However, in the last year or so, he has begun insisting ever more furiously that the Obama team committed crimes against him, in particular saying Mr Obama spied on his campaign. All Russia Hoax Scandal information was Declassified by me long ago. Unfortunately for our Country, people have acted very slowly, especially since it is perhaps the biggest political crime in the history of our Country. Act!!! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2020 So I had to constantly fight off all of this Scum, achieve more than any other President in First Term, and then they talk Chaos. They created crimes against me and this administration! https://t.co/jlITzFMH2E Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2020 Where are all of the arrests? Can you imagine if the roles were reversed? Long term sentences would have started two years ago. Shameful! https://t.co/w2s8LdiRu0 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2020 NOW THAT THE RADICAL LEFT DEMOCRATS GOT CAUGHT COLD IN THE (NON) FRIENDLY TRANSFER OF GOVERNMENT, IN FACT, THEY SPIED ON MY CAMPAIGN AND WENT FOR A COUP, WE ARE ENTITLED TO ASK THE VOTERS FOR FOUR MORE YEARS. PLEASE REMEMBER THIS WHEN YOU VOTE! https://t.co/gsFSghkmdM Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2020 Wow!!! NOW DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS, THE BIGGEST OF ALL POLITICAL SCANDALS (IN HISTORY)!!! BIDEN, OBAMA AND CROOKED HILLARY LED THIS TREASONOUS PLOT!!! BIDEN SHOULDNT BE ALLOWED TO RUN - GOT CAUGHT!!! https://t.co/hf7zjqZYQ4 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2020 While Mr Barr has been criticised by many Trump critics for intervening in cases against the presidents associates including Roger Stone, whose recommended prison sentence his department sought to reduce he has defended his independence from the president before. Im not going to be bullied or influenced by anybody, he told an interviewer in February. Whether its Congress, a newspaper editorial board, or the president. At the time, this was seen as a stunning rebuke to Mr Trump, who routinely appears to direct policy via Twitter. However, the president reacted only with a single, level-headed tweet, raising suspicions that Mr Barrs interview was a calculated gesture to justice department attorneys concerned about political interference. Later in the Fox Business interview, while expounding the theme of Hillary Clintons State Department emails, Mr Trump appeared to suggest that he might take a more active role in his proposed criminal roundups. She should be indicted for that! he shouted down the phone. If people delete emails in a regular court case she deleted 33,000 emails and nothing happens to her! Our justice system, nothing happens to her. With all of the pages of stuff, thousands of pages that we have on them, nothing happens to them, nothing happens. And you know, I said Im gonna not get involved, Im gonna have to get involved, because these people are crooked people. Your browser does not support the video tag. Print Navigacia: > News > > Night Riders are heading to Lyon Night Riders are heading to Lyon Digitally restored film Night Riders (1981) by Martin Holly will world premiere at the of one of the largest and most respected international festivals of the classic film Lumiere Festival in Lyon (October 10 - 18, 2020). This is the fourth digitally restored film from the collections of the National Film Archive of the SFI that festival has selected for its program in the past four years. The festival draws attention to essential films from the history of cinema and helps classic cinema to stay alive. The program is dedicated to restored classic films, retrospectives and tributes to significant filmmakers. The Lumiere Classics label covers three program sections including Treasures from Archives Around the World which highlights the little-known and yet indispensable movies as Night Riders. Night Riders captures two strong individualities facing each other. They fought for the same ideals of freedom in the Great War. If they met in the trenches they would be friends now. After the war, Edo Halva joined the service of newly established republic to protect its law and maintain the order. Marek Orban returned to his village to secure better life for his people with a plan that requires money. A lot of it. He crosses the border every night smuggling horses. During the day, the two men respect each other. At night they shoot to kill without blinking an eye. One wears a uniform, the other is an outlaw. Each of them fights in the name of his own truth. The selection of a film for the Lumiere Festival program is always a great chance for the archive institutions to bring back the attention for some of their classic films. Night Riders is the fourth Slovak digitally restored film to be presented at the festival. In 2017, the festival introduced a feature-length animated film The Bloody Lady (1980) by Viktor Kubal, a year after, a tragicomedy The Barnabas Kos Case (1964) by Peter Solan and at the latest festivals edition Wild Lilies (1972) by Elo Havetta was premiered. "Since 2017, the festival organizers have included in the program every year a Slovak film, digitally restored by the Slovak Film Institute," explains Marian Hausner, director of the National Film Archive of the Slovak Film Institute (SFI), who supervises the digitization and restoration of classic films. "For us, this is another confirmation of the meaningfulness of the digitization workplace at the Slovak Film Institute, built in 2014, which is key to the presentation and accessibility of Slovak film heritage." As part of the festival, the SFI will also online participate in the Marche International du Film Classique (October 13 16, 2020). Screenings: October 15 / 19:30 / Institut Lumiere October 16 / 18:15 / Pathe Bellecour Web: http://www.festival-lumiere.org/en/ Related AIC articles: Digitally restored Wild Lilies at Lumiere Festival 2019 Viktor Kubal Retrospective in Sitges and The Barnabas Kos Case in Lyon Digitally restored animated film Bloody Lady at Lumiere festival 2017 Halloween was born from remnants of a pagan feast that also is bound up with the celebration of one of the highest holy days in the Christian calendar, All Saints Day. But All Hallows Eve has never been made an official holiday. Its traditions arent organized. It started out in the United States as a night for bonfires, tale telling and costume parties. It became a night for sometimes dangerous mischief. And after World War I, it turned into a night for children to beg door-to-door. 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. It seems like nothing, not even a pandemic, can stop Chicago pizza. Its no secret that the coronavirus pandemic has devastated the restaurant industry, causing an unprecedented number of closures, with more potentially on the way. This moment might seem like the worst time to hunt for Chicagos best pizza. Yet, this year has seen a surprising number of incredible pizzerias open here are the 25 best. To prepare for Wednesday night's debate, Vice President Mike Pence participated in three 90-minute practice sessions with former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (R) all standing in as Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), NBC News' Hallie Jackson reports. Pence also received debate help from Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who called him on the phone, a person with knowledge of the matter told Jackson. On Harris' side, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg played the role of Pence during their debate prep. In an interview with Indianapolis Monthly published on Sunday, Buttigieg said it would "be a real mistake to underestimate" Pence's skills as a debater, adding that he was "very effective in 2016." Buttigieg appeared on MSNBC after Wednesday's debate and said he was "so proud" of Harris' performance, and later tweeted that she "powerfully made the case for why we must end the chaos and restore decency by electing Joe Biden." More stories from theweek.com Mike Pence was the unlikely winner of the vice presidential debate The myth of Mike Pence's appeal Trump is shockingly bad at this 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. Jennifer A. Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier Jennifer A. Doudna (left) and Emmanuelle Charpentier, shown in 2016. The two scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry 2020. Credit - Alexander Heinlpicture alliance/Getty Images Jennifer Doudna was sound asleep when her phone began buzzing, so she missed the first few calls. When the incessant ringing finally roused her at 3 a.m., it was a reporter who wanted her reaction to the just-awarded Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Who won? Doudna asked. It was a little embarrassing, Doudna said during a press conference held later in the day when the reporter told her she had been given the prestigious award, along with her collaborator Emmanuelle Charpentier from the Max Planck Institute. I was really deeply asleep. Doudna and Charpentier were jointly awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their discovery of CRISPR-Cas9, a genome editing technology that allows scientists to deftly edit DNA from virtually any living thing with a precision and ease never before possible. Since they described the technology in 2012, they and other researchers have studied CRISPR for use in possible treatments for human diseases ranging from cancer to HIV as well as in agriculture for ways to make plants drought and pest resistant. Doudna and Charpentier are the first all-female winners of the Chemistry Prize, and Doudna is the first female faculty member at University of California, Berkeley to earn the honor. The news was such a shock that Doudna thought the reporter on the phone had been jokinguntil she answered a second call early Wednesday morning. It was from her former post-doctoral fellow Martin Jinek, who conducted many of the experiments that led to the CRISPR discovery. Martin would never call unless it was real, she tells TIME. We had a really great discussion, and he was really, really happy. Doudna says she will never forget the moment that she and Jinek looked at the data from experiments they had run and realized they had found a relatively easy way to cleanly edit DNAand the vast implications that could have for addressing disease as well as agricultural challenges. I like to call it a democratizing technology, which is widely available and accessible to scientists globally, and not expensive to get hold of, she says. It really opened the door to all sorts of research and increasingly applications that would not have been possible otherwise. Story continues A colleague at University of California, Berkeley first introduced Doudna to the odd ability that bacteria have of neatly snipping out the genes that viruses rudely insert into bacterial genomes. Because viruses cant copy their own genomes by themselves, they need to co-opt other organisms, including bacteria, to help them. Intrigued, Doudna began investigating the phenomenon, and soon after met Emmanuelle Charpentier, then in the department of molecular biology at Umea University in Sweden, at a scientific conference in Puerto Rico. Walking the streets of old San Juan, the two scientists indulged their professional imaginations and realized they had complementary skill sets that could speed up the process of unpacking this gene editing mechanism. Within a year, in 2012, Doudna and Charpentier published their groundbreaking paper describing CRISPR-Cas9, a system that gave researchers the molecular scissors to precisely cut DNA wherever they wanted. Scientists are still finding new clever and innovative ways to apply the technology, and dozens of startup companies, including ones founded by Doudna herself, have sprouted up to exploit the potential. The technology has also led to a years-long patent battle between University of California, Berkeley, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); MITs Feng Zhang was the first to describe CRISPR in so-called eukaryotic cells, which includes those in plants, animals and people, but published his findings several months after Doudna and Charpentier, whose patent claims cover the technology more broadly. Eric Lander, founding director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, where Zhang also holds an appointment, tweeted huge congratulations to the duo. The stakes for the patent conflict are high and could mean millions of dollars in licensing revenues for the winner. In eight short years, scientists exploiting CRISPR have figured out how to use it to edit HIV genes out of human cells, cut out a gene responsible for a devastating congenital heart condition, and explore ways to delete cancer-causing genes, all of which could lead to life-saving, and highly sought-after new therapies. The field in many ways was ripe for a technology to allow easy manipulation of DNA in precise ways, which is exactly what CRISPR does, says Doudna. No specialized training or equipment is needed to use the tech; you simply need to license it. And while the pliability of the technology has indeed had the democratizing effect that Doudna hoped for, it has also made possible abuse and more questionable application. In 2018, for example, Chinese scientist He Jiankui shocked the scientific community when he announced that he had used CRISPR to genetically edit the genomes of human embryos created by a couple in which the father was HIV positive. He altered their genomes to give them genetic protection against infection and then transferred the embryos to the mother for a full-term pregnancy, that led to the live birth of twin girls. The act was widely criticized by leading scientists, including Doudna, and led to recommendations by the U.S. National Academy of Medicine and the UK Royal Society to discourage use of CRISPR in embryos that will be implanted for pregnancy until safety questions can be answered. Any technology can be abused, says Doudna, but with CRISPR because it is easily accessible means we have to really be on top of it as a scientific community. There has been a very good international response to that incident that galvanized an international effort to make sure we have a culture of transparency globally, and that as a community we work to ensure responsible use of the technology. That may someday even include a more potent way to protect against infectious diseases like the coronavirus that has had such a devastating effect on countries and their economies. The ability to edit genes, including genes in immune cells, using CRISPR, could ultimately lead to the next phase of immune protection beyond vaccines. I imagine a day when the technology of genome editing could be used to alter immune cells so they are primed to defend against new viruses, and potentially do that very quickly to provide an alternative to having to go through many, many months of developing a new vaccine, she says. Thats a future goalits not going to happen next year, but nonetheless its something very exciting to think about the future potential of CRISPR. In the meantime, Doudna plans to enjoy one of the perks provided by her new honor: a free, personal parking space on the Berkeley campus. Supporters of the state's environmental trust fund have filed a lawsuit alleging that the Nebraska Environmental Trust Board violated state law in recently awarding trust fund grants to help fund installation of ethanol pumps at privately owned service stations. The action was filed in Lancaster County District Court by W. Don Nelson and Jon Oberg, both of whom have held positions in state government during public service careers. The lawsuit alleges the board violated provisions of the environmental trust act, which direct that funding grants, financed primarily by the Nebraska Lottery, be directed to projects that "conserve, enhance and restore natural environments in the state." The board denied funding for five projects that had been recommended by the trust's grant committee, including a saline wetlands project proposed by the Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department, in order to steer funding to Green Plains Inc., a large ethanol producer, the lawsuit alleges. That $1.8 million in funding would be used to pay half of the purchase price and expense of buying ethanol pumps and storage tanks and installing them in privately owned retail service stations. Harrisburg, NC -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/08/2020 -- The Global Phototherapy Equipment Market Research Report 2020 is a valuable source of insightful data for business strategists. It provides the industry overview with growth analysis and historical & futuristic cost, revenue, demand, and supply data (as applicable). The report describes various segments as well as analysis of the trends and factors that are playing a substantial role in the market. It provides an in-depth study of the Phototherapy Equipment market by using SWOT analysis. This gives a complete analysis of drivers, restraints, and opportunities of the market. This Market study provides comprehensive data that enhances the understanding, scope, and application of this report. The global phototherapy equipment market size was valued at USD 525.8 million in 2018 and is anticipated to witness a CAGR of 6.3% over the forecast period. Inquire here to avail discount on this report: https://www.marketinsightsreports.com/reports/10082337220/global-phototherapy-equipment-market-research-report-with-opportunities-and-strategies-to-boost-growth-covid-19-impact-and-recovery/inquiry?mode=69 Top Key Players in the Global Phototherapy Equipment Market: Philips Lighting Holding B.V., Atom Medical Corporation, Phoenix Medical Systems Pvt. Ltd., Nice Neotech Medical Systems Pvt. Ltd., GE Healthcare, Inc., Honle UV America, Inc., ArjoHuntlleigh, Inc. (Gentinge Group), Favoro Health Projects SpA, Natus Medical Incorporated, Herbert Waldmann GmbH & Co. Kg, Solarc Systems, Inc., National Biological Corporation, The Daavlin Company, Inc. Based on the Phototherapy Equipment market development status, competitive landscape, and development model in different regions of the world, this report is dedicated to providing niche markets, potential risks, and comprehensive competitive strategy analysis in different fields. From the competitive advantages of different types of products and services, the development opportunities and consumption characteristics and structure analysis of the downstream application fields are all analyzed in detail. To Boost Growth during the epidemic era, this report analyzes in detail the potential risks and opportunities which can be focused on. Market segment by Type, the product can be split into Conventional Phototherapy Equipment LED Phototherapy Equipment Fiberoptic Phototherapy Equipment Conventional equipment is the second largest segment in 2018 because of the scope of the wider application of this device for psoriasis and related skin diseases eksim-. These devices include fluorescent lamps and compact fluorescent lamps. Conventional phototherapy is a technique widely used for the treatment of premature infants and newborns suffering from jaundice, as well as for the treatment of adults with vitiligo, psoriasis, and eczema. LED fixtures are anticipated to show significant growth over the forecast period due to the availability of cost-effective products. Another factor responsible for the growth includes high efficiency coupled with a long-running feature for treating newborns develop jaundice. Conventional compact fluorescent light phototherapy between the source of the most frequently used worldwide. They require less space, provide higher irradiances, and consumes lower power compared to the conventional fluorescent lamps. Therefore, it is also anticipated to gain significant market share over the forecast period. Market segment by Application, split into Neonatal Jaundice Skin Diseases skin diseases treatment contributes the largest share in 2018 due to the high prevalence of severe skin disorders, such as psoriasis, eczema, and acne. management of neonatal jaundice is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period due to the increased number of newborns suffering from jaundice and the launch of new products for the treatment of neonatal jaundice. Regional Analysis for Market: For a comprehensive understanding of market dynamics, the global Phototherapy Equipment market is analyzed across key geographies namely: United States, China, Europe, Japan, South-east Asia, India, and others. Each of these regions is analyzed on the basis of market findings across major countries in these regions for a macro-level understanding of the market. North America is anticipated to take control of a large number of phototherapy equipment market share and also displays a rapid increase in the annual rate of growth. This can be largely attributed to the increasing incidence of neonatal jaundice and other diseases that affect the skin. growing awareness among the public about the latest treatment methods and health infrastructure is expected to provide a boost for the local phototherapy equipment market over the forecast period. In addition, the number of new hospitals has also increased significantly in the region in recent years, amounting to more than 5000 at the current time, equivalent to more than 45 percent of the global market. Growing preference for hospital care and heal skin conditions that benefit from reimbursement policies such as the Medicaid reimbursement policy of the United States is anticipated to significantly contribute to the growth of the North American market. The Asia Pacific region is also anticipated show good growth arising from increased government support for health initiatives, the increasing popularity of the area for medical tourism, the expansion of the major market players in the region, and the low cost of phototherapy equipment in China and India. Browse Complete Report details with Table of Content: https://www.marketinsightsreports.com/reports/10082337220/global-phototherapy-equipment-market-research-report-with-opportunities-and-strategies-to-boost-growth-covid-19-impact-and-recovery?mode=69 Table of Contents: Executive Summary: It includes key trends of the Phototherapy Equipment market related to products, applications, and other crucial factors. It also provides an analysis of the competitive landscape and CAGR and market size of the Phototherapy Equipment market based on production and revenue. Production and Consumption by Region: It covers all regional markets to which the research study relates. Prices and key players in addition to production and consumption in each regional market are discussed. Key Players: Here, the report throws light on financial ratios, pricing structure, production cost, gross profit, sales volume, revenue, and gross margin of leading and prominent companies competing in the Phototherapy Equipment market. Market Segments: This part of the report discusses product type and application segments of the Phototherapy Equipment market based on market share, CAGR, market size, and various other factors. Research Methodology: This section discusses the research methodology and approach used to prepare the report. It covers data triangulation, market breakdown, market size estimation, and research design and/or programs. 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ABOUT US: Market Insights Reports provides syndicated market research on industry verticals including Healthcare, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Technology and Media, Chemicals, Materials, Energy, Heavy Industry, etc. Market Insights Reports provides global and regional market intelligence coverage, a 360-degree market view which includes statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations. Contact Us: Irfan Tamboli (Head of Sales) - Market Insights Reports Phone: + 1704 266 3234 | +91-750-707-8687 Email: sales@marketinsightsreports.com | irfan@marketinsightsreports.com Abdullah Abdullah, chief negotiator in the intra-Afghan peace dialogue with Taliban, on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and re-affirmed the long term commitment to further deepen India-Afghan ties. "Strengthening our commitment to our close neighbour. PM @narendramodi met with Dr. Abdullah Abdullah @DrabdullahCE of Afghanistan, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation. He reaffirmed our long term commitment to further deepening India-Afghan ties," Anurag Srivastava, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson, tweeted. On Wednesday, Abdullah Abdullah had met National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval. The Chairman of High Council for National Reconciliation of Afghanistan who is here on a five-day visit said the meeting with Doval was "constructive" and that the latter had assured him of India is in favour of a "democratic and sovereign Afghanistan, where no terrorists can operate". "Had a constructive discussion with HE Ajit Doval, the NSA of India. We discussed the Afghan Peace Process, & the talks in Doha. He assured me of India's full support for the peace efforts, & that any peace settlement acceptable to Afghans, will have the support of India," read a tweet from Abdullah. This is the first visit of Abdullah to India after the formation of a new government in Afghanistan. His visit comes at a time when the Afghanistan government and Taliban are trying to negotiate a deal in order to restore peace in the country. The peace talks between the Afghanistan government and the Taliban began on September 12 in Qatar's capital Doha. (ANI) Also Read: UN chief Antonio Guterres strongly condemns massive car bomb attack in Afghanistan CARDINAL TAGLE GETS PCR TEST AT RED CROSS BEFORE GOING BACK TO VATICAN Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the Prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and president of Caritas Internationalis, had a swab test at the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) bio-molecular laboratory in Mandaluyong City this morning as a requirement before flying back to the Vatican City in Rome. PRC Chairman and CEO Senator Richard J. Gordon, who also had his regular swab test, joined Tagle during the procedure. Tagle, who got tested positive for COVID-19 last September 10 upon his arrival in Manila from Rome, thanked the swabbers, medical technologists, volunteers and staff of the Red Cross, and then prayed for their health and safety. "I am very proud of what you do. It is important that they feel the care, that they are not just a case, but they are human beings," he said. Gordon, on the other hand, wished the former Manila Archbishop good health as Tagle will soon fly back to the Vatican to continue his obligations as cardinal-bishop. "I wish Cardinal Tagle good health and more strength with each coming day, and guidance from our Lord as he continue his mission to the Vatican," said Gordon. Before leaving the laboratory, Tagle blessed the PRC facility. WASHINGTON Rep. Don Bacon has secured the support of the man he defeated to get the job back in 2016. Former Rep. Brad Ashford, D-Neb., said in a statement to The World-Herald on Wednesday that he is backing Bacon over Democratic challenger Kara Eastman in Nebraskas Omaha-based 2nd District. It was my intention to remain neutral in this congressional race, Ashford said. However, more than ever we need unifiers, not dividers in Congress. Ashford released the statement just minutes before the start of Wednesday nights debate between Bacon and Eastman. In the statement, Ashford touted his own bipartisan record during the one term he served in the House and said that Bacon has followed a similar path by supporting protections for those brought into the country illegally as children, helping craft a bipartisan pandemic relief proposal and fighting to maintain private health insurance for families. We need to send Don Bacon back to Congress to work across the aisle to meet the challenges we face as a state and a nation, Ashford said. 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A spike in coronavirus cases in several Orthodox Jewish areas of New York has prompted state and city authorities to impose new localized restrictions aimed at halting the spread. On Oct. 5, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that nearly 100 public schools and 200 private schools in 20 ZIP codes many of which have a large ultra-Orthodox population and have seen increased rates of positive test results of COVID-19 would end in-person classes temporarily. The move has sparked animosity among some Orthodox Jews, who claim that they are being unfairly singled out. It comes amid warnings from New York Mayor Bill de Blasio of further action to prevent the spread and follows earlier instances, including the breaking up a funeral for an Orthodox Jewish rabbi by police in Brooklyn on April 28. Similar tensions have played out in Israel, where recent plans to implement a system to identify coronavirus hot spots met resistance from some ultra-Orthodox leaders, who suggested it was unfair to place restrictions on their communities while many secular Israelis have been gathering regularly to demonstrate against the government. Rather than loosen restrictions on the ultra-Orthodox community, the government tightened restrictions on demonstrations, resulting in additional tension between secular and ultra-Orthodox Israelis. Most prominent rabbis around the world have supported government regulations intended to curb the spread of coronavirus, even if it means closing places of study and worship. But some observant Jewish communities in the United States and Israel have been reluctant to adopt social distancing. Outsiders are often outraged when religious communities defy policies meant to protect the general public. As an anthropologist who studies religion, politics, identity and conflict in Israel and Palestine, my research helps explain why some strictly observant Jewish communities disobey public health guidelines and its more complicated than simply flouting the rules. Story continues Who are Haredi Jews? Ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, Jewish communities are a diverse population, with varying spiritual and cultural practices. But they all follow Halacha, loosely translated as Jewish law. As such, many do not share the same information sources that others take for granted. In accordance with the rulings of their rabbis, internet access, television broadcasts and certain cellphone functions are generally limited in strictly observant Jewish communities. Maintaining their closeness to God by distancing themselves from the secular world prevented many Haredim from seeing news reports of the virus spreading worldwide in February and March. Some Haredi leaders maintained that gathering to pray and study remained paramount. Studying the Hebrew scriptures, or Torah, is a commandment and a duty in Judaism. Haredi men generally gather to pray three times daily. Students at yeshivas, or Jewish seminaries, may spend 18 hours a day studying together. More than a way of life, prayer and study are believed to be the means for protecting life itself. According to Jewish sages, One who engages in Torah study also protects the entire world. Indeed, without Torah the world falls. The importance of engaging with the Torah explains why one prominent rabbi in Israel insisted in March that canceling Torah study is more dangerous than the coronavirus. Ultimately, the Israeli government intervened to enforce its coronavirus restrictions. On March 22, police were sent into Mea Shearim, a Haredi neighborhood in Jerusalem, to end public gatherings, close synagogues and shutter schools. They were met with curses, slurs and thrown stones. Some Haredim even called the Israeli police Nazis. Collective memory While such responses might seem extreme to outsiders, they become clearer when considering Jewish history and the memories provoked by police intervention. Anthropological research demonstrates that people give meaning to their experiences in different ways. Our perception, imagination and actions are deeply embedded in the whole of our experiences. The past whether individually experienced or collectively nourished by the community gives meaning to the present. Henri Bergson, a French philosopher, used the term duration to explain how the past shifts to show itself in ways that appeal to current experiences in different ways for different people. In times of crisis like the coronavirus pandemic, this sense of duration becomes more acute. For some, hospital tents erected in public places evoke World War I. A Holocaust survivor recently told me the stay-at-home order brought back memories of her childhood years of confinement hiding from the Nazis. One New Orleans resident found that the flood of coronavirus deaths recalled Hurricane Katrina. Duration as personal memory is central to an individuals sense of self, but it arises in collective memories, too. Collective memory, including the stories we all tell ourselves and our children about our past, gives meaning and purpose to our collective selves. These stories recount struggles and triumphs and help define our moral community. Duration interacts with collective memory, and is key to the formation of group identity. History of persecution The historical persecution of Jews around the world is central to both secular and strictly observant Jews. However, how that memory works in contemporary circumstances is not predetermined. My research demonstrates that different aspects of the past inform collective meaning and actions differently. Unlike most Israelis who see Jewish history as a justification for the state of Israel and understand the Israeli army and police as existing to protect them some Israeli Haredim distrust the government and its functionaries. In fact, Haredi Jews, who make up about 10% of Israels population, are foundationally opposed to Zionism, the political ideology of Jewish nationalism that led to the establishment of Israel in 1948. While Haredi Jews believe that God promised the land of Israel to the Jewish people, they are also certain that promise cannot be fulfilled by human intervention in Gods work, such as the establishment of a nation state. They have previously clashed with the Israeli government and law enforcement over compulsory military service and other policies. Suspicion of police So when armed men in uniform entered their neighborhoods to close down synagogues and yeshivas, members of the Haredi community drew on their collective memories of soldiers and police wreaking havoc and destruction on Jewish communities in czarist Russia and later in Western Europe. Rather than feeling protected by the state, they were fearful and suspicious. Suspicion of the police is common in other communities historically mistreated by law enforcement. The collective memories of both Black Americans and the Roma of Europe, for example, associate police with violence and danger. When facing a crisis like the coronavirus, many people rely primarily on science, technology and governments for protection. And the Haredim do not reject science or medicine. But for them, living the Torah life through daily study and prayer is the primary means by which all human life is maintained and preserved. When the political order interferes with their work, the consequences could be more disastrous than a pandemic. It could mean the end of Jewish life, if not humanity itself. This article is an updated version of a story that was published on April 27. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. Read more: Joyce Dalsheim does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Motahera Banu new Board of Trustees member of Nazrul Institute Dr. Sayeda Motahera Banu has been appointed as a member of the Board of Trustees of Kabi Kazi Nazrul Institute. To this end, a notification was issued on October 4 by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, said an official press release. The post fell vacant as Professor Mohammad Abdul Qayum, a member of the Board of Trustees of the institute, died on June 12. Michigan's Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, allegedly was the target in a kidnap plot by right-wing extremists. A second alleged plot centered on the violent attack of the Michigan state Capitol. (Associated Press) One of the routine arguments by the pro-gun crowd is that the 2nd Amendment gives them the right to own firearms to protect themselves from a tyrannical government. But what happens when those guns are used to try to topple the government? Federal and state officials in Michigan announced the arrests today of more than a dozen people on charges related to two alleged plots, one to kidnap Michigans Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, and try her for treason, and the other an alleged scheme to attack the Michigan state Capitol with the aim of killing police and other first responders. Yeah, wacky. But this is where we are. Note that gun-toting demonstrators barged into the Capitol in April during protests over stay-home orders that enraged many on the far right. Those were the same demonstrators that President Trump egged on, tweeting LIBERATE MICHIGAN! as the armed group intimidated legislators from their perch in the balcony gallery. Then later, Trump urged Whitmer to make a deal with the armed protesters, tweeting that Michigan should give a little, and put out the fire. These are very good people, but they are angry. Those "very good people" were not to be confused, of course, with the very fine people Trump earlier said were among the armed white nationalists who took part in the 2017 Charlottesville, Va., rally that led to the death of a woman protesting the hate-mongers. And whatever happened to the notion that governments don't negotiate with terrorists? Wacky right-wing groups and lone wolves are not new to Michigan. Timothy J. McVeigh blew up the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people, including children at a day-care center, in 1995. McVeigh, an Army veteran from near Buffalo, N.Y., was executed for the crime. His accomplice, Terry Nichols of Lapeer, Mich., is serving a sentence of life without parole. Both men had peripheral connections with the self-styled Michigan Militia, and were motivated to attack the federal building in retaliation for federal law enforcement actions against right-wing extremists at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, and at a cabin in Ruby Ridge, Idaho, in the 1990s. Story continues Michigan also was home to Robert Miles, a self-styled minister in the racist Christian Identity church movement who also was part of the Aryan Nations movement that sought to create a white homeland in the Pacific Northwest, and a former head of the Ku Klux Klan in Michigan (he served time for firebombing school buses during a desegregation fight in Flint). So, yeah, theres some history there. Whether these plots were real, or fantastical inventions by the defendants, is unclear. And the federal government doesnt have a very good record in these things. A decade ago the government charged nine members of the self-styled Hutaree Christian militia group with plotting a violent revolt, including assassinating a law enforcement officer then bombing the funeral. But the cases fell apart at trial, and the defendants were convicted only on a range of weapons and related charges. Members of the Hutaree were arrested in March 2010 following an undercover operation by the FBI. Like the charges announced Thursday, that case centered on recordings made by two paid FBI informants. So who knows how this will turn out. But even if the accused are guilty of nothing more than sharing violent fantasies about kidnapping a governor, holding an extrajudicial trial on charges of treason, and attacking a state capitol building, its a mark of these treacherous times. Updates: 1:48 PM, Oct. 08, 2020: This post was updated to clarify the location of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. FueLNG drives LNG bunkering infrastructure expansion in Singapore FueLNG, a joint venture between Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M) and Shell Eastern Petroleum (Pte) Ltd, has named Singapores first LNG bunkering vessel (LBV), FueLNG Bellina. Scheduled to be operational by end-2020, the vessel will enable FueLNG to be the first to provide regular ship-to-ship LNG bunkering services within the Singapore port. FueLNG will also provide LNG bunkering from Singapores first dedicated LNG bunkering facility which will be built by Keppel O&M on its Floating Living Lab (FLL), with Shell supplying the LNG to the facility when it becomes operational at the end of 2021. Mr Chee Hong Tat, Singapores Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Transport & Ministry of Foreign Affairs, graced the virtual naming ceremony of FueLNG Bellina. SMS Chee said, This occasion marks an important milestone in Singapores journey to achieve the IMO 2030 greenhouse gas emissions target. It is our next step towards regular ship-to-ship LNG bunkering activities in Singapore. As we progress towards a low-carbon future, we will intensify our efforts to develop the Port of Singapore into a global LNG bunkering hub. Mr Chris Ong, Chairman of FueLNG and CEO of Keppel O&M, added, Building Singapores first LNG bunkering vessel and having a dedicated bunkering facility demonstrate our commitment to global customers that LNG as a marine fuel will be readily available in Singapore. Leveraging the capabilities of Keppel O&M and Shell, FueLNG is able to offer customers a variety of cost-effective and convenient LNG bunkering options. These include ship-to-ship bunkering for larger vessels such as containerships or being able to bunker smaller vessels such as harbour crafts on demand, 24/7, at our dedicated bunkering facility at the FLL in Keppel O&Ms shipyard. Singapores First LNG Bunkering Vessel The 7,500m3 LBV supports initiatives implemented by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) to increase the adoption of LNG as a marine fuel, facilitating the growth of Singapore as a global LNG bunkering hub. Designed and built by Keppel O&M, the vessel is on track to arrive in Singapore later this year from the Keppel Nantong Shipyard in China. When operational, the vessels first contracts will be to provide ship-to-ship LNG bunkering to the Shell-chartered tankers and for one of Hapag Lloyds container vessels. Mr Jan Christensen, Senior Director Global Fuel Purchasing at Hapag Lloyd, said, We are looking to reduce our carbon emissions and LNG propulsion in our ships is one of the key contributors. Singapore is a significant port of call and we are pleased that there will be the necessary infrastructure provided by FueLNG for us to bunker our LNG-powered vessels. Mr Tahir Faruqui, Director, FueLNG and Head of Downstream LNG, Shell, said, Singapore is an important country for Shell and it will be a key region of the world for our Downstream LNG business. LNG will play a critical role in the journey towards zero emission fuels while zero and low-carbon fuels are being developed. It is the cleanest fuel currently available to the shipping sector in meaningful volumes. Collaboration is essential to reach milestones like this and Id like to highlight and thank the MPA for supporting the growth of LNG as a marine fuel. Im also grateful for the strong partnership between Shell and Keppel in leveraging our unique capabilities to achieve this. FueLNG Bellina complements Shells existing fleet of bunker vessels, enabling us to safely provide LNG to customers across the world. The FueLNG Bellina is the worlds first bunkering vessel with Smart Notation. Equipped with Keppel O&Ms proprietary VesselCare solutions, these smart functions enable remote monitoring and real-time support of vessel operations. Singapores First Dedicated LNG Bunkering Facility Keppel, Shell and FueLNG will further expand the LNG bunkering infrastructure in Singapore with the countrys first dedicated LNG bunkering facility. FueLNG will provide LNG bunker to receiving vessels such as harbour crafts and small vessels from the facility, which will have a capacity of 3,500m3. It complements the LBVs bunkering services and will also be able to refuel the LBV. FueLNG is committed to providing safe, cost-efficient and reliable solutions in LNG bunkering in Singapore. Since conducting Singapores first commercial LNG bunkering operation in 2017, FueLNG has safely completed more than 250 truck-to-ship bunkering operations, a strong testament to its operational expertise and high safety standards. The Cayuga County Health Department is alerting the public of a potential COVID-19 exposure after an employee at an Auburn restaurant tested positive for the virus. The employee at Don Juan Cafe worked from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, Friday, Oct. 2, and Saturday, Oct. 3. They also worked from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Thursday. According to the health department, individuals who were at the restaurant during those periods may have been exposed to COVID-19 and should monitor themselves for symptoms of the virus for 14 days from their potential exposure date. Symptoms include a cough, fever, chills, body or muscle aches, a headache, loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath, sore threat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea and fatigue. If you develop any symptoms of the virus, stay home and call your doctor. Older people, those with underlying health conditions and the immunocompromised should call their doctor even if they are experiencing mild symptoms. They are at risk of serious illness if they contract the virus. There have been other potential COVID-19 exposures reported at local businesses and churches over the past seven months. In late September, the health department notified the public of positive case involving an employee at Mesa Grande Taqueria in Auburn. With most of the exposures, the health department hasn't revealed whether there were more cases connected to those locations. But in one instance, they announced a potential exposure at Emmanuel Baptist Bible Church in Martville. There were multiple cases at least eight in Cayuga County and 19 overall in that cluster. The county has reported 226 confirmed COVID-19 cases since mid-March. Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. 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. In a bid to ease the passport renewal process in Saudi Arabia, The Republic of the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs and VFS Global have signed a contract to provide Passport Renewal services in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar. Adnan Villaluna Alonto, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Philippines to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Sumanth Kapoor, Head of VFS Global - KSA & Bahrain, inaugurated the first Philippine ePassport Renewal Centre in Riyadh city in a formal ceremony on 15 September 2020. The ceremony was also attended by Abdulaziz Alsawaly, Director, Business Partnership, the Diplomatic Quarter General Authority, Riyadh, KSA. Similar centre was inaugurated in Al Khobar by Christopher Patrick T. Aro, Minister and Consul General of the Republic of the Philippines to KSA and the centre in Jeddah was inaugurated on October 5, 2020 by Edgar Barrairo Badajos, Consul General of the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah. All three centres have started to accept passport renewal requests from Saturday to Thursday between 08:00 AM to 08:00 PM. This is the first time The Republic of the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs has outsourced its passport renewal process in KSA. Prior to this, Philippine residents in the KSA had to visit the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah or the Embassy in Riyadh for passport renewal. With the opening of the new ePassport Renewal Centres, customers will have an additional avenue to complete the process. Chris Dix, Head of Business Development, VFS Global, said, We would like to thank The Republic of the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs for their faith in us. Our Passport and Consular services have been growing from strength to strength, and we look forward to bringing those best in class services to the Philippines nationals here in the kingdom. In order to ensure a safe environment for employees and customers, VFS Global has established standardised protective measures to be followed across the centres, including specific social distancing and sanitation mandates. All customers are subjected to body temperature checks at the entrance to assess their health conditions. Any customer exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms, including fever, cough and breathing difficulties will not be permitted to enter the centre and will be requested to return once the health condition improves. Additionally, all customers and VFS Global employees are required to wear a face mask and gloves within the centre. VFS Global already operates 90 centres providing Passport and Consular Services to 10 Governments in 29 countries worldwide. The organisations transparent, scalable and intuitively designed services in the passport application and consular services domain delivers on a range of key requirements from online appointment booking and customer support to front-office services, biometric enrolment and doorstep return-delivery of passports and other documentation. VFS Global is responsible only for accepting applications for client governments. All applications submitted will continue to be assessed and processed by the respective client governments. Timelines for turnaround are as per the discretion of the authorities. VFS Global has no influence on the process at the Embassies or Consulates.-- Tradearabia News Service Some phrases to avoid when a friend tells you, "I have breast cancer." (Illustration: Nathalie Gonzalez for Yahoo Lifestyle) October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In an effort to bring awareness to people impacted by the disease, Yahoo Life is republishing this story. It was originally published on Oct. 7, 2019. The worst reaction I got when sharing news of my breast cancer diagnosis and impending double mastectomy last year was from a neighbor, who texted me this awkward but well-meaning flub: Well, at least youll look even skinnier now! Its since become just an amusing anecdote faint background noise through which the many supportive, loving reactions that I prefer to focus on are filtered. Some of the best: The friend who called or texted me every day to check in, even if it was with just a heart emoji; the one who said, that sucks and makes me so angry; the one who left homemade hummus with warm bread on my doorstep the day I returned home from surgery, ravenous; the one who promptly organized an online meal train, without ever being asked, and the many who signed up and delivered to our family such thoughtful, delicious dinners that the memory of them still makes me tear up with gratitude. And then there was the friend who lived a few states away and who, just a couple years out of her own double mastectomy, came to town without being asked and spent the day with our then-9-year-old daughter to distract her, to spoil her and to care for her while I went to my first, very nerve-wracking, post-surgery appointment. So how did everyone know what to do? Sometimes it came naturally; sometimes the knowledge was hard-won. Other times, its because they asked, What can I do? and I somehow figured out what to tell them. But its not always so easy for people in the midst of a crisis to say what they need or to even know, for that matter. Probably every woman talks about this at some point over the course of her cancer treatment, says Mary Jane Massie, M.D., a psychiatrist with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, where her focus is women with breast cancer. I think the offer to help is a statement of love and affection so take the affection and know its OK to say, this is kind of way too much, and I dont even know what I need. Story continues Massie adds that going through a crisis such as breast cancer is how many people learn what their friends are really made of. Sometimes the people who we thought were peripheral to us turn out to be the kindest, most helpful and most thoughtful and our so-called friends turn out to be the people who say, if you need anything, I am totally there for you, call me day or night, but are then never actually available when push comes to shove. Some women so dread that disappearing act that they opt to keep news of their diagnosis to themselves. They say, I realize if I dont tell people I wont get support but if I do, then I have to risk being very disappointed in them, Massie says. According to the book How to Be a Friend to a Friend Whos Sick, which longtime author and activist (and founding editor of Ms. magazine) Letty Cottin Pogrebin wrote following her own struggle with breast cancer, knowing how to be a good friend in tough times isnt always instinctual. Im sure you already know how to be friends when it means catching up over lunch, sitting side by side at a ball game, or texting each other about a movie, she wrote. But when a pal or loved one falters physically or mentally when theyre hobbled or hurting, when your role in the relationship is no longer easy or obvious, when your interests and exchanges are not entirely reciprocal, and your once-easy conversation tips jarringly toward matters of crisis and pain you may have to find new ways of being together, new means for you to be helpful, and new words to keep things real. To gather more specifics, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I decided to take a page from Pogrebins book, by crowdsourcing for some advice from women who have gone through it both friends and acquaintances, as well as women in private Facebook support groups I belong to, about what to say and do (or not) when a friend tells you she has breast cancer. But try to think of the nuggets of wisdom below as suggestions not as edicts or threats designed to freak you into silence. Everyone is different, after all, and most people just want to know that youre there, and that you care. As one survivor told me, Personally, I worry that the more 'instructions' we give people about what not to say will scare them from saying anything. And THAT is the worst thing you could do. Which brings us to our No. 1 bit of advice Dont disappear It seems basic. But perhaps the most common request from women I spoke with was to please not vanish something many people seem to have experienced upon sharing their diagnoses with others (myself included). Sometimes its because they dont know what to say. Sometimes its because a friends cancer is hard for them whether theyve been through it before with a relative or just dont have the constitution required to be a support system. I can excuse saying the wrong thing my situation sucks, and I wouldn't even know what to say to me, either, one woman noted. What I cannot excuse is the disappearing act that many friends do when you get a cancer diagnosis. One of the best things you can do as a friend goes through treatment, then, is to simply stay in touch. Just a quick checking in on text message, on a regular basis Hi how are you? and Just thinking about you can do so much, noted one woman. If you want to respond you can. If you don't, you still know they cared enough to check in. Added another survivor, Send notes and texts of encouragement just to let me know that I am not forgotten. It is a lonely battle. As for the one who has breast cancer, Massie suggests trying to be understanding, as hard as it may be, even towards ill-behaved friends. Plato said, be kind, everyone is fighting a hard battle. So its pretty easy to say, that darn friend, she just walked away, I dont know why she walked away, I thought I knew her but I guess I dont. We mere mortals have reasons for what we do and what we dont do, she explains, and sometimes we just cant do it. So try to look at it as a lesson, she suggests, about who you can count on and who you cant. Dont say, At least youll get a great boob job! Other despised variations: Oooh free boob job! Well, at least youll have awesome new boobs! Youll be able to go topless on the beach with your new breasts! As one friend told me, Although I laughed over some boobs jokes and made a few myself to take off some of the pressure, a mastectomy is not a boob job. She stressed that its a way more painful process with very different end results, such as a major loss of sensation. Moreover, she said, its not something I chose to do, as with people who elect to undergo plastic surgery. Noted another woman, Id gladly keep my saggy breasts that fed my children and helped in other ways than to get a boob job. I never wanted one. I was happy with my breasts. Others resent questions like, What size will your new ones be? which come with the assumption that they will be getting reconstruction, when many women, in fact, opt to go flat. And when they do, theres a whole new set of unwelcome comments that can follow, like, Dont they make fake ones? or But how does your husband feel about it? or Of course you want reconstruction youre not old and you can still feel like a woman! As that woman replied to her breast surgeon Im 58, and I still do feel like a woman. Be mindful of not implying fault: What do you think caused it? or of bashing treatment choices Wow, guess that vegan thing didnt work out so well, did it? was another notable comment I received. It implied I was a fool, and maybe even somehow at fault for getting breast cancer despite my healthy lifestyle. As another survivor said about these sorts of comments, I was very understanding of the fact that people need to find a cause, to feel reassured it wont happen to them. I also did some cause research, trying to figure out if I had brought this on myself, and in the end found it a sterile and self-shaming process. Plus, she said, in the end, what caused my cancer might not be what will cause someone elses. Also not helpful, Massie says, referring to what she often hears from her therapy patients, is to be told after youve chosen a doctor or a course of treatment that there is a much better way. Someone who says, Why would you go there? You must go to my doctor, in fact Ive called and made an appointment for you, doesnt work. If your friend calls after a diagnosis and says, Im clueless, can you please give me the name of your doctor? thats a very different story. Dont be like, Oh, my [mom, sister, aunt, etc] died of breast cancer Its truly the opposite of comforting to hear, while grappling with the shock of diagnosis, about someone you knew who was killed by the same disease. Avoid platitudes Examples of well-meaning but often maddeningly meaningless cliches: Everything happens for a reason, God never gives us more than we can handle, Just be glad it isnt worse, What doesnt kill you makes you stronger. Also unnerving to some women is being told, Youll be OK or Youre not going to die, because how can anyone know? Some survivors have specific vitriol for any warrior or battle talk, like, Youre so strong! You can fight it! What if Im not strong? Yes I can fight it, noted one woman. But what if I need to feel like I dont have to be strong, at least for a moment? Be a good listener More important than what they say, one woman told me, is that they are prepared to listen. And listening, especially to details, can sometimes help you offer specific follow-up help. The best reaction, another woman told me, was my friend who just called every so often, asked how the chemo was treating me (meaning she had jotted down when my treatments were and kept track) and who took me for lunch or coffee and just let me talk, about cancer or anything else. Noted someone else, I found it very therapeutic to talk about the whole process, and friends who patiently bore with me and listened to the nitty gritty of my lab results and surgical options were the most helpful. Also, if it doesnt feel too intrusive, ask questions. I love when people ask me specific questions about my treatment how many infusions will you need? What type of chemo is it? Do you have any side effects? Even if they don't know anything about cancer, it helps to talk about it clinically and takes some of the awkwardness and I'm so sorry, I'm so sad for you away, one survivor shares. I don't want pity. I like to talk about the productive things we are doing to fight it. Just show up Finally, one woman suggested, Dont ask if you can help, just do something nice. Most people dont know how to ask for help or dont know what they need. But anything youll do will be appreciated. Send a pretty plant with a nice note. Some other specific, favorite examples of how to just show up: Ask, Do you have any favorite soup recipes? Then make a batch. Say, I love you. I'm here for the long haul. [One friend] went to the surgeon with me to help me understand, and was open and honest about what was going to happen. Say, I support you and your choices. Can I bring you dinner? Can I take you to the store? Can I clean your floors? Do you need anything? How are you? How are the kids and hubby? Do they need anything? I have a friend who now and then sends a card with $20 or $40. No mandate, just cash and love. It allows me to go to lunch with a friend, take a kid out for a treat without feeling like it is affecting the family budget. It is not waiting for me to ask for help, but it is not overly intrusive, either. Go with me to pick out a wig and be honest and have fun. Im stopping by [whatever] restaurant, what do you guys want? As opposed to, let me know if I can help. Somebody whos a good admin type steps up and organizes food delivery. Say, I will pick up your kids and take them to school and then do that. The best advice I got was, This is a short season. It helped me to repeat it and to know there would be an end. I know not all patients with cancer can say this, but it became a mantra for me. Also, Your body is beautiful, no matter what. Anytime a niggling, negative comment about my body presented itself, this was my mantra. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Want daily pop culture news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Entertainment & Lifestyles newsletter. The potential for a repeal of the ACA will be devastating to the patients we care for and will put the fundamental mission of this organization in jeopardy, Carey said. To those elected officials and others who would allow the repeal of the Affordable Care Act: You are choosing politics over primary care, rhetoric over responsibility and heartlessness over humanity. NATO insisted Thursday that its members would consult and decide together on when to leave Afghanistan, after US President Donald Trump vowed to bring American troops home by Christmas. Trump, trailing in polls ahead of the November 3 presidential election, made his surprise announcement on Twitter on Wednesday, dramatically speeding up the timeline for ending America's longest war. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg repeated the alliance's longstanding position that it will end its mission in Afghanistan only when conditions on the ground permit. "We decided to go into Afghanistan together, we will make decisions on future adjustments together, and when the time is right, we will leave together," Stoltenberg said at a news conference after talks with North Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev. NATO went into Afghanistan following the 2001 US-led invasion to topple the Taliban in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks. It ended its combat operations in Afghanistan in 2014 and has vastly reduced its presence on the ground, but maintains a 12,000-strong force training and advising local forces. Stoltenberg said NATO would only leave Afghanistan when it could do so without the risk of the country once again becoming a haven for militants. "We will make decisions based on the conditions on the ground, because we think it is extremely important to continue to be committed to the future of Afghanistan, because it is in our interest to preserve the long term security of Afghanistan," he said. It is not clear whether NATO had any advance warning of Trump's announcement, though Stoltenberg's statement that allies would now "consult on the future of the mission" appeared to indicate that it did not. After intense US cajoling, the Afghan government and the Taliban last month opened peace talks in Doha, but negotiations have got off to a slow start. Trump's timeline for withdrawing forces appeared to contradict his own national security advisor Robert O'Brien, who reportedly told an event that the US would cut troops to 2,500 by early 2021. Search Keywords: Short link: 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 23:53:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BERLIN, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- The total number of confirmed cases of African swine fever (ASF) in wild boars in Germany increased to 53 since the first case was detected in mid-September, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) said on Thursday. Three additional cases found in two previously defined risk areas near the border with Poland were confirmed, according to BMEL. Market distortions caused by ASF and limited slaughtering capacities in the meat industry due to the COVID-19 crisis led to a further increase in the surplus of pigs that were ready for slaughter, according to the German Farmers' Association (DBV). "Our pig farmers suffer massively from the collapsed slaughter pig and piglet prices and the logistical problems in marketing," said DBV President Joachim Rukwied said in a statement on Wednesday. BMEL stressed that Germany's domestic pig population is "free from African swine fever." Enditem On Thursday this week (8 October), latest daily Covid-19 testing data showed 179 new cases in Malaga province, including the Costa del Sol. The rolling rate of contagion per 100,000 people in the last 14 days in Malaga province was 124.5, down from 157 a week earlier. This figure was still below the Andalusian average of 189 cases per 100,000, which had risen from 167 last week as more cases have been detected in the inland provinces of the region. Situation "under control" Andalusian vice-president Juan Marin said on Thursday that the region was on the downward curve of the second wave,with the situation very much under control. Marin said that the 1,900 daily cases in the middle part of the week in Andalucia were down to an increase in tests He added that, fortunately, this was not turning into an increase in hospital admissions. The number of people in regional hospitals with Covid-19 dropped by 30 on Thursday this week, to 1,028, of which 139 were in intensive care, five fewer than Wednesday. In Malaga province there were 175 in hospital, of which 22 were in intensive care, also a slight drop on the day before. Below national average On Tuesday in regional hospitals, 7.21 per cent of beds had Covid-19 patients, just below the national average of 8.97 per cent, and 10.81 per cent of Intensive Care beds were occupied. The national average was 17.85 %. The Junta de Andalucia continues to monitor case levels in towns with a view to increasing restrictions and testing. Linares (Jaen) and Almodovar del Rio (Cordoba) have been placed in semi-lockdown this week. AAFA, IMPACT DC team up with a focus on expanding nationwide community health programming Image courtesy IMPACT DC Image courtesy IMPACT DC Washington D.C., Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In the United States, the burden of asthma falls disproportionately on poor, low-wealth, and minority populations. Decades of research and public health data show stark disparities in asthma prevalence, mortality and health care utilization along socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic lines with Black, Hispanic and Indigenous Americans under the heaviest burden. This was once again demonstrated in the comprehensive report Asthma Disparities in America: A Roadmap to Reducing Burden on Racial and Ethnic Minorities issued by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). The problem cant be solved alone. Thats why AAFA and the Improving Pediatric Asthma Care in the District of Columbia (IMPACT DC) Asthma Clinic at Childrens National Hospital are coming together to lead a national collaborative dedicated to reducing asthma disparities by strengthening self-sustaining, community-based asthma management. The goal is to implement a new, national model that will reduce emergency room visits, cut death rates, lower school and work absences, bring down health care spending, and improve quality of life within the next ten years. Community programs have proven to be an effective intervention tool for improving health outcomes in local communities, said Kenneth Mendez, president and CEO of AAFA. Unfortunately, systemic barriers get in the way of the growth of these programs on a national scale. Our partnership with IMPACT DC helps advance our mission of prioritizing policies and programs to improve asthma health for Americans most at risk while dismantling systems that fuel harmful disparities. Making a real and lasting difference is an achievable goal when groups and individuals with a shared, critical interest come together. Partnering to find sustainable solutions will help lead to a vast reduction in asthma disparities and help promote health parity overall. When we narrow gaps in asthma care and outcomes for underserved groups of people, we truly advance care and management for everyone with asthma. Story continues "Despite novel treatments and guideline-based care, asthma remains a significant public health problem, disproportionately affecting minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged children. Asthma health disparities are often due to the effects of poverty and substandard housing, with environmental triggers as a major contributor. At IMPACT DC, we partner with local housing organizations and the government to improve poor indoor air quality due to mold and other hazards, said Dr. Shilpa Patel, medical director at IMPACT DC and attending physician in the division of emergency medicine at Childrens National Hospital. Coordinating world-class care at Childrens National Hospital, with our incredible community partners, has allowed us to improve the lives of the most at-risk children with asthma. We hope to leverage AAFAs national platform to bring together programs in other cities so that we can learn from each other and create a best-practice model to address pediatric asthma health disparities at the national level." AAFA and IMPACT DC will bring leading experts together to share best practices and develop new solutions to help local asthma management programs sustainably and effectively reduce asthma disparities. The coalition will also work together to recruit additional stakeholders and like-minded individuals dedicated to expanding effective community health programs. To kick off our joint community health initiatives, AAFA and IMPACT DC will host a webinar on October 20th, 2020 from 2pm 3pm ET: Ask the Experts: Managing Asthma During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Register here: Ask The Experts: Managing Asthma During the COVID-19 Pandemic About AAFA Founded in 1953, AAFA is the oldest and largest non-profit patient organization dedicated to saving lives and reducing the burden of disease for people with asthma, allergies and related conditions through research, education, advocacy and support. AAFA offers extensive support for individuals and families affected by asthma and allergic diseases, such as food allergies and atopic dermatitis (eczema). Through its online patient support communities, network of local chapters and affiliated support groups, AAFA empowers patients and their families by providing practical, evidence-based information and community programs and services. AAFA is the only asthma and allergy patient advocacy group that is certified to meet the standards of excellence set by the National Health Council. For more information, visit www.aafa.org. About IMPACT DC Asthma Clinic at Childrens National Hospital The IMPACT DC Asthma Clinic provides clinical and educational interventions and works in the community to strengthen the linkages among all those providing asthma care to children in the schools, community and health care system. IMPACTs goal is to steer children away from episodic use of the emergency room for their asthma management, and towards more effective primary long-term asthma care and ultimately healthier lives. For more information, visit https://childrensnational.org/departments/impact-dc-asthma-clinic. About Childrens National Hospital Childrens National Hospital, based in Washington, D.C., celebrates 150 years of pediatric care, research and commitment to community. Volunteers opened the hospital in 1870 with 12 beds for children displaced after the Civil War. Today, 150 years stronger, it is among the nations top 10 childrens hospitals. It is ranked No. 1 for newborn care for the fourth straight year and ranked in all specialties evaluated by U.S. News & World Report. Childrens National is transforming pediatric medicine for all children. In 2020, construction will be complete on the Childrens National Research & Innovation Campus, the first in the nation dedicated to pediatric research. Childrens National has been designated twice as a Magnet hospital, demonstrating the highest standards of nursing and patient care delivery. This pediatric academic health system offers expert care through a convenient, community-based primary care network and specialty outpatient centers in the D.C., metropolitan area, including the Maryland and Northern Virginia suburbs. Childrens National is home to the Childrens National Research Institute and Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation and is the nations seventh-highest NIH-funded childrens hospital. It is recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local, regional and national levels. Attachment CONTACT: Kafi Brown, Public Relations Director Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America 2029741223 kbrown@aafa.org Patience, as the saying goes, may be bitter but its fruit is sweet. By severing negotiations with Congress over a new stimulus package, President Donald Trump may have committed a costly unforced error that could bolster Democrats heading into Election Day. However, the delay may eventually lead to an even larger fiscal package next year especially with investors increasingly warming to former Vice President Joe Biden. On Wednesday, Trump dangled the possibility of piecemeal legislation that would address consumers and the stricken airline industry. Yet the ensuing rally suggests Wall Street is now pricing in a long game that involves a Democratic sweep of Washington, resulting in an even bigger stimulus if Bidens coattails are long enough to ensure his partys majority in the Senate. Even if the president and Congress cant reach a deal, Biden's widening lead in the election polls is making it likely that more substantial stimulus can eventually be agreed on, Mark Haefele, chief investment officer at UBS Global Wealth Management, told clients in a research note this week. U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden participate in their first 2020 presidential campaign debate held on the campus of the Cleveland Clinic at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S., September 29, 2020. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY To be certain, a Democratic sweep is still a big if, and the incumbents penchant for the unpredictable may yet allow him to pull off one last surprise. And few observers including Smarkets foresaw Trumps stunning 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton. Yet currently, all the stars seem to be aligning for Biden and his party. The hotly contested quest to flip the Senate is trending toward the Democrats, putting Republicans on the defensive as Trumps polarizing response to the COVID-19 crisis and his own infection reshape the electoral terrain. The latest data from Smarkets shows Bidens odds rising to 67%, up from 63% in the week prior. Predictive market bets also see the former VP winning the Electoral College in blowout fashion: 323 to Trumps 215. With both opinion polls and predictive markets showing a Biden victory is a more likely outcome now, Haefele believes the prospect of a blue wave that gives Dems control of the White House and both chambers of Congress is also a growing possibility. Story continues We have always expected a blue wave to deliver more fiscal spending, as the Democrats are prioritizing economic recovery, he added. This would counterbalance proposals for increased taxation, and we anticipate a blue wave would be neutral for markets overall, even if markets are volatile in the near term, Haefele said. All else equal, such a blue wave would likely prompt us to upgrade our forecasts. Goldman Sachs According to Olivier d'Assier at financial intelligence and risk firm Qontigo, a Biden presidency and a Republican Senate would be the best case for markets among a range of outcomes. A Democratic White House with a divided Congress would feature higher government spending, no new taxes, less social unrest, and a more diplomatic approach to foreign policy, and reflects the maxim that Americans prefer a divided government, dAssier noted. However, with Bidens polling numbers remaining stable despite widespread polarization, Wall Street watchers are starting to make a Democratic sweep their base case for the economy. Goldman Sachs, which had discounted a pre-election stimulus package weeks ago, said this week that one-party rule would be bullish for 2021 growth. All else equal, such a blue wave would likely prompt us to upgrade our forecasts, the bank wrote in a research note. The reason is that it would sharply raise the probability of a fiscal stimulus package of at least $2 trillion shortly after the presidential inauguration on January 20, followed by longer-term spending increases on infrastructure, climate, health care and education that would at least match the likely longer-term tax increases on corporations and upper-income earners, Goldmans analysts said estimating a boost of between 2-3 percentage points to growth. Theres another outlier scenario thats been increasingly discounted in recent weeks: A status quo election outcome that sees Trump keeping the White House and the GOP preserving the Senate. A lame duck session could still be positive for the economy, with Washington likely to pass more funds for small businesses, unemployment and schools. Javier David is an editor for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter: @TeflonGeek Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, and reddit. Find live stock market quotes and the latest business and finance news The FBI says it broke up a violent militia plot to kidnap the governor of Michigan Gretchen Whitmer. (AP) The FBI broke up a right-wing militia plot to kidnap the governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer and put her on trial. Now six members of the Wolverine Watchmen group have been charged in federal court, while seven others face terrorism charges in state court. Authorities broke up the plot and arrested the militia members after a raid at a home in the state on Wednesday night. Officials say the group planned on murdering tyrants or grabbing a sitting governor ahead of the election. By Asma Hafiz, TwoCircles.net Srinagar: Waseem (name changed) had prepared for his viva exam scheduled for the next day. However, in the morning when he tried to join his class on Zoom (a video conferencing application), he realised the internet was snapped in his district, Pulwama, yet again. This was not an isolated event as internet shutdowns are quite common in the region. Whenever an encounter breaks out between the armed forces and the militants, the internet is snapped in the district by the administration citing security reasons. Support TwoCircles Waseem says he had to miss a lot of classes due to frequent shutdowns. Initially, he had tried to live at a relatives place in Srinagar but he had to go back home when his mother got sick. The teachers are very understanding but they are helpless. Just because of a few students they cannot call off a class. At this pace, I think I might lose another year, says Waseem. When the Hindu nationalist government of BJP unilaterally revoked Kashmirs special status, it snapped internet connection and phone lines. The entire region was placed under curfew while thousands of troops marched into the disputed territory. For months, there was an information blackout in Kashmir. After a long stretch, low-speed mobile internet and broadband services were restored. Due to the military clampdown and the coronavirus pandemic, students across the valley have not been to school for more than a year. With low-speed internet and recurrent internet shutdowns, the life of students continues to remain disrupted. The erratic internet connection has made Waseem restless. He fears he will miss out on some important lectures which will only aggravate his problems. I keep refreshing the web page of my browser to make sure the internet is working. There is a lot of stress and it has taken a toll on my health, adds Waseem. While there have been demands to restore 4G, the government keeps extending the ban. Recently, the restriction was extended till 21 October in all the districts of Jammu and Kashmir except for Ganderbal and Udhampur. Preparing for her morning class, Mansha takes out her spiralled notebook and begins to jot down the name of the subject in neat handwriting. As the clock strikes 10 am, she opens the zoom link and waits for it to connect. However, on the screen appears a spinning circle on top of which is written Connecting. After a few minutes, Mansha gives up and closes the application, distraught with the bad signal. This is an everyday experience. Even if you are able to connect, there are chances you will be logged out again. The whole concept of online classes in Kashmir seems futile, says Mansha, a 12th class student. Mansha says around 10-15 students are able to attend the Zoom meeting which does not comprise even half of the class. She is apprehensive about writing her board exams this year saying most of the syllabus remains uncovered. As more criticism poured out against the throttling of internet speed in Kashmir, the Government defended its decision by saying Internet restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir are in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, according to a report in NDTV. In a written reply to Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home, GK Reddy said, The 2G mobile internet speed is not an impediment in COVID control measures including dissemination of information to general public as well as health workers. E-learning apps and education and e-learning websites of the government are accessible over 2G internet for downloading e-books and other study material. But the experience of students and teachers paints an entirely different picture. While talking to TwoCircles.net, Saima Lateef, a teacher at a local private school in Srinagar, related her ordeals. The absence of proper learning, she says, is going to have long-term effects. While some countries are deploying 5G technology, we are forced to manage our work with 2G network. It breaks my heart to see so many children unable to join the virtual classroom. Who is going to take responsibility for them? says Saima. Many teachers are adopting different methods to tackle connectivity issues. Saima makes short videos on different topics and sends them across in the class WhatsApp group. She also prepares worksheets and makes small audio notes recording instructions on how to solve them. The other major problem at hand is that many students cannot afford the luxury of buying a smartphone. They have no option but to manage on their own. There is clear discrimination. Not everybody comes from a privileged background and the government needs to understand that, adds Saima. Some teachers have come up with the idea of open-air classrooms as a solution to network issues. While this has proven to be fruitful as students are able to interact with their teachers but not everybody has this option at their disposal. Even after all these innovative teaching methods, education in Kashmir is lagging behind. Mansha sets aside her phone and notebook after not being able to join the online class. Maybe tomorrow I will be able to attend the lecture. I am very worried about my future, she exclaims. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Almost two million babies are stillborn every yearone every 16 secondsthe United Nations said Thursday, warning that the COVID-19 pandemic could add another 200,000 deaths to the "devastating" toll. The vast majority of stillbirths, 84 percent, occur in low- and middle-income countries, where basic neo-natal care could save hundreds of thousands of lives each year, according to a joint report by UNICEF, the World Health Organization and the World Bank Group. Most stillbirths occur due to poor quality healthcare lacking investment in equipment and training of midwives. And unlike notable reductions in recent decades in the global rate of maternal and infant deaths, stillbirths remain stubbornly frequent, particularly throughout sub-Saharan Africa and southeast Asia. "Losing a child at birth or during pregnancy is a devastating tragedy for a family, one that is often endured quietly, yet all too frequently, around the world," said UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore. "Beyond the loss of life, the psychological and financial costs for women, families and societies are severe and long lasting. For many of these mothers, it simply didn't have to be this way." The report warned that the pandemic could result in nearly 200,000 additional stillbirths, assuming that 50 percent of health services are impacted in low- and middle-income countries by the COVID-19 response. Mark Hereward, UNICEF's associate director for data and analytics, told AFP that infants in many countries would suffer from COVID-19 even if their mothers never contracted the disease. "Firstly, due to the massive increase in poverty because of the global recessions," he said. "The other way is through an interruption to health services, either because health workers are reassigned to work on COVID or because people are afraid to go to clinic." Hereward said that without urgent action the world will have suffered 20 million more stillbirths by 2030. 'I cried and cried' Globally, over 40 percent of stillbirths occur during labour, the UN said. These are among the most avoidable deaths given that many labour stillbirths could be prevented with access to trained midwives and emergency obstetric care. Sabine Uwizeye, a 35-year-old living in Rwanda's capital Kigali, lost her baby when she went into labour during the 37th week of pregnancy. "I knew that something was wrong and the doctor told me that my baby was dead. I couldn't believe it. I cried and cried," she told AFP. "The baby had many knots in its umbilical chord. I feel so bad even now not being able to hold my sick baby." Uwizeye is now the mother to a healthy 10-month-old, but she urged expectant mothers to be vigilant in monitoring their baby's health. "Keep going for check ups and make sure that your pregnancy is normal," she said. "Even when you are at home you can make sure the baby in the womb is ok. Be constantly aware and vigilant." As well as the wide disparity in stillbirth rates between rich and poorer nations, the report also found significant variations in the rates within individual countries, often linked to socioeconomic status. In Nepal, for example, women of minority castes have stillbirth rates 40-60 percent higher than those from upper-class castes. And in Canada, Inuit communities have a stillbirth rate nearly three times higher than the general population. Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Anshu Banerjee, director for the Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing at the WHO said the world needed "break out of this cocoon of taboos and stigma" surrounding stillbirth. Explore further Sharp jump in stillbirths during COVID lockdown 2020 AFP System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28: 29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951 /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. 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The North Carolina General Assembly designated $9.4 million federal CARES Act funds for arts councils and arts organizations to mitigate business disruptions caused by COVID-19. The North Carolina Arts Council will distribute these funds on a per-capita basis to all North Carolina counties with a population of less than one million people. In many counties, local arts councils will receive the funds and then sub-grant a portion of the county allotment to eligible recipients. Non-profit art organizations and organizations that have arts as a core part of programming (at least 25%), including individual artists and/or unincorporated arts groups, areeligible to apply to for a grant to offset business disruption and/or expenses incurred due to COVID-19 between March 1 and Dec. 30, 2020. Rockingham County Arts Council is committed to racial and ethnic equity in the arts. We alsoencourage art groups that do not have a formal non-profit status but have arts at the center of their programming and mission to apply, according to Jenny Edwards, Executive Director of Rockingham County Arts Council. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 8) As the month of December approaches, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) needs to study which companies can be exempted from giving 13th month pay to their employees, the Labor chief says. Sa batas, may exemption of payment pagka yong business establishment is characterized as distressed, said Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III. [Translation: Under the law, business establishments can be exempted if they are characterized as distressed.] In order to do this, DOLE will need to come up with an advisory defining companies considered distressed in order to be exempted from giving the mandatory benefit. Bello said in a press briefing on Thursday that deferring the payment may be a more acceptable formula in addressing the issue. He added that it might work for business owners to give the benefit in the following months instead. The Labor chief also said that they will study the exemption of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from giving the benefit. Meantime, they will require companies with a capitalization of 1 million above to give the 13th month pay. Bello noted that he is taking a neutral stance between labor and management groups regarding the matter. Pakiusapan natin yong mga businessmen na one-time lang naman ito. Kung kaya ninyo ibigay, ibigay. Kung hindi, baka pwede I-postpone, he said. [Translation: Lets ask the businessmen that is only a one-time thing. If they can give, give. If not, maybe they can postpone it.] Labor groups decry plan to defer 13th month pay this year The Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) asserted the law instituting 13th month pay among workers in the country saying it does not explicitly provide exemptions on which businesses can defer the benefit. The labor group added that DOLE must hold dialogues with workers as the 13th month pay deferment may be a "risky and dangerous" move for all concerned stakeholders. "The government must continue giving subsidy directly to the workers. Once the money is given to the businesses, there's no assurance that the funds from the government will help the workers," ALU-TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay told CNN Philippines' Rico Hizon. Kilusang Mayong Uno reminded the government that it is its responsibility to bail out businesses, especially MSMEs, in times of emergencies. "Deferments and exemptions are not a good tune to sing amid this pandemic," said KMU chairperson Elmer Labog. "Why make the workers suffer by letting them be submerged in debts here and there?" Defend Jobs PH appealed to the national government to find ways to provide 13th month pay to affected workers as the holiday season draws closer amid the pandemic. "The gifts that our workers want for Christmas are jobs, assistance, and labor rights," Defend Jobs PH spokesperson Christian Lloyd Magsoy said in a video message. 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. Harrisburg, NC -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/08/2020 -- The Global Molded Pulp Packaging Market Research Report 2020 is a valuable source of insightful data for business strategists. It provides the industry overview with growth analysis and historical & futuristic cost, revenue, demand, and supply data (as applicable). The report describes various segments as well as analysis of the trends and factors that are playing a substantial role in the market. It provides an in-depth study of the Molded Pulp Packaging market by using SWOT analysis. This gives a complete analysis of drivers, restraints, and opportunities of the market. This Market study provides comprehensive data that enhances the understanding, scope, and application of this report. The molded Pulp Packaging Market size was USD 3.4 billion in 2019 and will grow at a CAGR of 4.5% from 2020 to 2026. Inquire here to avail discount on this report: https://www.marketinsightsreports.com/reports/08032194977/global-molded-pulp-packaging-market-size-status-and-forecast-2020-2026/inquiry?mode=69 Top Key Players in the Global Molded Pulp Packaging Market: Protopak Engineering, AFP, TransPak, Jarrett Industries, Henry Molded Products, Bert-Co, UFP Technologies, Gorilla Shipper, EnviroPAK, Atlantic Pulp, Fibercel, Pacific Pulp, Keiding, Berkley, Michelsen Packaging, KINYI Key Developments in the Market: In December 2018, Cascades inc. announced that it had acquired the assets associated with the production of molded pulp packaging solutions in the United States region for USD 37.4 million. This acquisition will help in significant improvements in Cascades inc.'s production capacity for sustainable packaging products. The facilities acquired under this transaction are situated in Indiana and Iowa in the United States belonging to Urban Forest Products and Clarion Packaging respectively In August 2018, Sealed Air announced that it had acquired AFP, Inc., which will be integrated with Sealed Air's "Product Care" business division. The combined technologies of the companies will provide significant growth opportunities for the company while providing unique levels of product offerings to their customers with the utmost production efficiency and a wide range of solutions Market segment by Type, the product can be split into Straw Pulps Bamboo Pulp Wood Pulp Palm Fibre Coconut Fibre Waste Paper/carton Board Market segment by Application, split into Electronics Food and Beverages Healthcare Automotive Transportation and Logistics The electronics segment, by end-use industry, to register the highest growth in the molded pulp packaging market during the forecast period Following the trend towards sustainability, packaging developers are adopting a variety of packaging solutions for a wide range of applications that are made of recycled molded fiber packaging. Thus, more retailers, producers, and consumers in the market are adopting sustainable molded fiber packaging solutions. Electronic items are generally fragile and require packaging that can protect them from damage during transportation and storage. molded fiber pulp is widely accepted for the packaging of electronic items, as it provides excellent shock-absorbing, compression strength, and heat resistance properties and the atmosphere during handling and shipping. Molded pulp packaging such as bearings offer a protective function, void fill, and blocking & bracing for electronic goods, thus increasing the demand for molded pulp packaging in this sector. Molded fiber packaging competence also range from shipping wine bottles and retail packaging for cosmetics for protective packaging for candles jerks, pillows to the computer, and inserts for mobile phones. Increased R & D efforts with the standard design and testing practices are essential to meet the growing demand for environmentally friendly packaging with high-quality features. The electronics segment, therefore, is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast. Regional Analysis for Market: For a comprehensive understanding of market dynamics, the global Molded Pulp Packaging market is analyzed across key geographies namely: United States, China, Europe, Japan, South-east Asia, India, and others. Each of these regions is analyzed on the basis of market findings across major countries in these regions for a macro-level understanding of the market. The Asia Pacific molded pulp packaging market is projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period Asia-Pacific is projected to be the fastest-growing region in the molded pulp packaging market, in terms of value. This is due to an increase in the number of molded pulp packaging manufacturing units in countries such as China, India, Australia, Indonesia, and Bangladesh in the Asia Pacific region. In addition, these countries are the biggest exporter of packaging materials globally. Due to the cheap labor cost and availability of raw materials produced in the country, manufacturers prefer to set up a manufacturing unit for the production of the packaging industry in Asia Pacific countries. Browse Complete Report details with Table of Content: https://www.marketinsightsreports.com/reports/08032194977/global-molded-pulp-packaging-market-size-status-and-forecast-2020-2026?mode=69 Table of Contents: Executive Summary: It includes key trends of the Molded Pulp Packaging market related to products, applications, and other crucial factors. It also provides an analysis of the competitive landscape and CAGR and market size of the Molded Pulp Packaging market based on production and revenue. Production and Consumption by Region: It covers all regional markets to which the research study relates. Prices and key players in addition to production and consumption in each regional market are discussed. Key Players: Here, the report throws light on financial ratios, pricing structure, production cost, gross profit, sales volume, revenue, and gross margin of leading and prominent companies competing in the Molded Pulp Packaging market. Market Segments: This part of the report discusses product type and application segments of the Molded Pulp Packaging market based on market share, CAGR, market size, and various other factors. Research Methodology: This section discusses the research methodology and approach used to prepare the report. It covers data triangulation, market breakdown, market size estimation, and research design and/or programs. Buy Full Reports: https://www.marketinsightsreports.com/report/purchase/08032194977?mode=su?mode=69 Customization of this Report: This report can be customized as per your needs for additional data up to 3 companies or countries or 40 analyst hours. Please contact our sales professional (sales@marketinsightsreports.com), we will ensure you obtain the report which works for your needs. Note: All the reports that we list have been tracking the impact of COVID-19 on the market. Both upstream and downstream of the entire supply chain has been accounted for while doing this. Also, where possible, we will provide an additional COVID-19 update supplement/report to the report in Q3, please check for with the sales team. ABOUT US: Market Insights Reports provides syndicated market research on industry verticals including Healthcare, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Technology and Media, Chemicals, Materials, Energy, Heavy Industry, etc. Market Insights Reports provides global and regional market intelligence coverage, a 360-degree market view which includes statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations. Contact Us: Irfan Tamboli (Head of Sales) - Market Insights Reports Phone: + 1704 266 3234 | +91-750-707-8687 Email: sales@marketinsightsreports.com | irfan@marketinsightsreports.com 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. [October 08, 2020] Universal Sompo General Insurance Company Limited Onboards Dr. (Ms.) Puneet Kaur Kohli as Chief Technology Officer MUMBAI, India, Oct. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. (MS.) Puneet Kaur Kohli has been appointed as Chief Technology Officer of Universal Sompo General Insurance Company Limited w.e.f. 5th October 2020. She brings over 23 years of extensive experience in Information Technology across esteemed organisations. Prior to joining Universal Sompo, Dr. (Ms.) Puneet Kaur Kohli had worked with Manappuram Finance Limited as Group Chief Information and Technology Officer. In her career of 24 years, Dr. Kaur has worked in various leadership roles and was associated with Bajaj Cap, Motricity, Bharti Airtel. She has worked internationally in countries including USA, UK, Canada, Dubai and across APAC. Dr. Kaur is a qualified Research Doctorate-Excellence Management. She has done her MBA in Information Systems from FMS Delhi & B.Tech from Delhi College of Engineering. Dr. Kaur won the business transformation leaders award from TechCircle for 2020, NBFC Tech 100 award for disruptive technologies in 2019 and 2020. Also for consecutive five years from 2011 to 2015 received top 100 CISO award, was also honoured with the Hall of Fame CIO award for 2017 (for bagging CIO 100 award for 4 years in a row). In the year 2014, she received Infosec Maestros award and Business World award for its acceleration for innovation in storage. She has been also conferred with 'Jewels of Punjab' award from Dr. Manmohan Singh (former Prime Minister). About the company Universal Sompo General Insurance Co. Ltd is a joint venture of Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Karnataka Bank Ltd, Dabur Investment Corporation and a leading general insurer from Japan, Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. It has footprints across the country to serve its customers with 17 Zonal Offices, 86 Branch Offices and a 1500 strong workforce. It offers a wide-range of products catering to Retail, Rural, SME & Corporate customer segments. It's innovating in the health insurance space and offers both standalone policies and co-branded products in conjunction with its bank partners. It serves customers through a vast and compliant distribution network of banks, agents, brokers, auto dealers, POSPs, CSCs and so on. It continues to invest in technology ensuring smooth purchase experience for customers and rapid integration facility for distributors. [ Back to the Next Generation Communications Community's Homepage ] 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 On Jan. 1, 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a fiery speech, proclaiming that unification between the two sides of the strait is the great trend of history. While accepting the possibility of different systems within one country, Xi pointedly noted that he would make no promise to abandon the use of force, and retain the option of taking all necessary measures. A year later, in an annual policy report, Beijing for the first time in nearly three decades dropped the word peaceful when referring to the goal of reunification with Taiwan. Ghaziabad: Following the directions of observers appointed by Election Commission, police teams conducted raids at some party offices and seized 20 cartons of liquor from an SP-Congress alliance candidate. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Anoop Kumar told PTI that observers got some complaint in this regard, upon which police officers were instructed to raid the election offices of the party candidates in Sahibabad legislative assembly constituency. 20 cartons of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) were seized from the office of an SP-Congress alliance candiate, Kumar said, adding they were to be distributed among voters, in to lure them. A random raid was conducted by city Superintendent of Police Salman Taj Patil in BJP and BSP offices but nothing was found there, he said. On the other hand, from an Indirapuram office of Amar pal Sharma, the SP-Congress alliance candidate, 20 cartons of IMFL was confiscated on Friday. 16 cartons were sealed and four were found to be open, he said. An FIR has been lodged at Indirapuram police station under section 60 of UP Excise Act and violation of Model Code of conduct, the ASP added. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Egypt reported 133 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing the total infection tally to 104,035 since the outbreak hit the country in mid-February, a statement by the health ministry said. The ministry also reported 9 new deaths, bringing the total fatalities from the virus to 6,010. The ministry said that 43 patients were discharged from hospitals over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of recoveries to 97,492. Speaking on TV on Sunday, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar underlined that Egypt is still in the first wave of the pandemic, albeit one in steep decline. Though the number of new coronavirus cases has been hovering around 150 a day nationwide since August, the government has repeatedly urged caution to avoid a second wave of the pandemic, particularly with the advent of autumn and the beginning of the new academic year. Egypt began the move towards a gradual reopening of the economy in June, lifting the night-time curfew, reopening restaurants and places of worship, and resuming regular international flights as part of its plans to coexist with the virus. On 21 September, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced a further easing of restrictions by allowing open-air funerals, wedding ceremonies, film festivals and conferences. The cabinet has warned, however, that strict restrictions will be re-imposed should infection rates rise. Search Keywords: Short link: In 30 states, your employer is legally required to give you some time off to vote AP Photo/Julie Carr Smyth In 2020, 30 states legally require employers to give employees some time off to vote, either paid or unpaid. If you're voting in-person on November 3 or voting early, be sure to both double-check your state's specific laws and approve your time off with your employer well in advance. The last day of voting in the 2020 presidential election is coming up on November 3. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The last day of voting in the 2020 presidential election up on November 3. In 30 states and the District of Columbia, your employer is legally required to give you some time off to vote, according to analyses from Workplace Fairness and Replicon. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, states made it easier than ever to vote from home with a mail-in ballot or early in-person prior to November 3. Thousands of employers have transitioned to all-remote work or expanding work from home options, making it more accessible for many to vote during work hours. But there are still a small handful of states that either aren't offering the option to all voters to vote by mail or do not offer in-person early voting. Mississippi falls in both categories, with the vast majority of the state's voters only allowed to vote in-person on Election Day. Laws around giving voters time off from work to go to the polls greatly vary by state, with many requiring employers to pay their employees for the time they take to vote, some limiting the number of hours or time of day that employers are required to give employees time off to vote, and North Dakota's legal code encouraging but not technically requiring employers to give time off to vote. If you're voting in-person on November 3, be sure to both double-check your state's specific laws and approve your time off with your employer in advance. Some scholars, like University of Chicago behavioral scientist Sendhil Mullainathan, have argued that giving workers time off to vote isn't just a matter of convenience, but could be a key step to reducing barriers to the ballot box for low-wage service workers and voters of color, who often face more difficulties in efficiently voting in-person. Story continues Voters of color face longer wait times to vote than white ones, a problem exacerbated by the pandemic as many polling places in cities have had to consolidate or move in the primaries. A study from the Brennan Center published earlier this summer found that Black voters wait 45 minutes longer and Latino voters wait 46 minutes longer to vote in-person on average than white voters. While some state laws mandate employers to give time off to vote, a number of major companies and corporations are also doing so nationwide as a larger private-sector push to encourage civic participation among both employees and customers alike. For years, socially conscious companies like Patagonia and Levi Strauss have made a point of giving their employees time off from work to vote and even closing stores on Election Day itself as a way of encouraging civic participation. This year, over 1,800 big corporations and smaller businesses alike have committed to giving the employees the flexibility they need to vote this fall through the Time To Vote campaign. Lauren Kunis, the program director of National Voter Registration Day, told Insider in September that the major uptick in corporations actively helping employees vote and even serve as poll workers is "very exciting." "It wasn't as common of a feature of our electoral landscape as it is now," she said. "I think there's been a huge shift in norms and in expectations from the part of consumers, employees, and employees alike in terms of how companies and brands can and should do their part to strengthen our democracy and make sure that the voting public represents all of us." In addition to giving employees time off to vote or making Election Day a company holiday, some big retail chains and tech companies like Facebook, Uber, Old Navy, Target, Tory Burch, and Warby Parker are also giving employees time off to serve as election workers. Many states and localities are facing shortages of available poll workers, who overwhelmingly tend to be older, retired Americans. Expanded Coverage Module: insider-voter-guide Read the original article on Business Insider You are here: Business China will see a surge in train trips on Thursday as an eight-day national holiday draws to a close, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. On Thursday, 13 million train trips are expected, and 1,234 additional trains have been put into operation to handle the spike in trips involving tourism and family visits. China's daily train trips had exceeded 10 million for eight consecutive days by Wednesday, the railway operator said. China celebrates its National Day on Oct. 1, and the weeklong holiday this year has been extended to Oct. 8 as it overlapped with the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional festival symbolizing family reunion that falls on Aug. 15 on the lunar calendar. BNY Mellon and NCB Capital have announced a strategic alliance to deliver global custody and associated asset servicing activities to institutional and large asset owners based in Saudi Arabia. The new alliance will provide clients of NCB Capital, the Kingdoms largest custodian and asset manager, with NCB Capitals local expertise together with access to BNY Mellons global custody, asset servicing, data and technology capabilities. BNY Mellon has been serving KSA clients for more than 30 years, and has been conducting business in the region for over a century. We are excited to announce this strategic alliance with NCB Capital and look forward to working together to support the financial and social agenda the Kingdom has forged as part of its transformation, by sharing capabilities, resources and practices via our new alliance, said Todd Gibbons, CEO of BNY Mellon. As KSAs largest asset manager and investment bank, NCB Capital has a proven track record of successfully collaborating with global leaders across the asset management value chain. To that end, we are looking forward to working very closely with BNY Mellon to both deepen and broaden our Securities Services offerings to our clients in line with NCB Capitals unwavering commitment to: (i) the development of the Kingdoms financial sector in line with Vision 2030, and (ii) meeting the increasingly sophisticated demands of our institutional client base, said Sarah AlSuhaimi, CEO of NCB Capital. BNY Mellon works with a wide range of sovereign wealth funds, financial institutions, governments and other clients throughout the region, offering asset servicing and ancillary services, corporate trust and treasury services. In the region, BNY Mellon has a branch office in the Dubai International Finance Centre and representative offices in the Abu Dhabi Global Market, Beirut, Cairo and Istanbul. In the Kingdom, BNY Mellon recently received conditional regulatory approval to establish a presence and open an office in Riyadh which will: (i) further support its collaboration efforts with NCB Capital, (ii) assist with the delivery of BNY Mellons global digital custody and data solutions, underpinned by a resilient, transparent and efficient operating model that enables clients to focus on their growth regardless of where they invest. Mohammed AlNory, Head of the Securities Division at NCB Capital, added: NCB Capital is focused on strengthening its value proposition for local, regional and international institutions across our business lines. With the continuing significant regulatory and infrastructure developments we are witnessing, the importance of Securities Services to our clients will only continue to grow. We firmly believe that our alliance with BNY Mellon will enable both firms to successfully cater to these client needs and capitalize on the growing local Securities Services opportunity. Hani Kablawi, Chairman of International at BNY Mellon, said: We highly value our collaboration with NCB Capital, the Kingdoms largest custodian and asset manager, and a leading Shariah-compliant asset manager globally. For clients who choose the alliance of NCB Capital and BNY Mellon, we are confident that together we will drive significantly greater performance and efficiencies by providing a consistent, quality experience, at scale, regardless of where they invest. BNY Mellon is a global investments company dedicated to helping its clients manage and service their financial assets throughout the investment lifecycle. NCB Capital is the asset management and investment banking arm of National Commercial Bank, Saudi Arabias largest commercial bank. TradeArabia News Service 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. 404 Page not found It looks like you found a glitch in the page... Story Highlights 59% are confident that votes will be accurately cast and counted nationwide Republicans' confidence (44%) at record low for either party Postal service delays, fraudulently cast votes seen as "major" problems WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Fifty-nine percent of Americans say they are "very" (19%) or "somewhat confident" (40%) that votes in the upcoming presidential election will be accurately cast and counted throughout the country, matching the low Gallup recorded in 2008. Line graph. Americans' confidence in the accuracy of elections. Currently, 59% of Americans are very or somewhat confident that votes in this year's presidential election will be accurately cast and counted. The latest figure, collected in Gallup's Sept. 14-28 poll, comes at a time when President Donald Trump has repeatedly questioned the validity of voting this year, which will include widespread mail voting amid the coronavirus pandemic. As in 2008, the country is grappling with a global economic crisis, and Americans' satisfaction with the way things are going in the U.S. is near its historical low point. As would be expected given Trump's view, Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (44%) are expressing far less confidence than Democrats and Democratic leaners (74%) in the accuracy of the election. The 11-percentage-point drop since 2018 in the national figure on confidence in election accuracy is largely driven by a 34-point drop among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents. The GOP's current 44% level of confidence is the lowest Gallup has recorded for identifiers/leaners of either major political party in its trend dating back to 2004. Democrats, on the other hand, have become slightly more confident in election accuracy since 2018, though this falls short of this group's high of 83% in 2016. Line graph. Americans' confidence in the accuracy of elections, by political affiliation. Currently, 74% of Democrats are very or somewhat confident that votes in this year's presidential election will be accurately cast and counted, compared with 44% of Republicans. Americans More Confident in Local Vote-Counting Americans are more likely to express confidence in the accuracy of voting counts where they personally vote. About four in five say they are "very" (47%) or "somewhat confident" (32%) that votes will be accurately cast and counted locally. The percentage of Americans who are "very" confident in local vote counting is more than double the level for votes counted nationally. The combined percentage of Americans who are at least somewhat confident in accurate local vote counting has waned over time, however, from a high of 91% in 2006 to a new low of 79% today. Line graph. Americans' confidence that votes will be counted accurately at their own voting facilities. 79% of Americans are very or somewhat confident that their vote will be cast and counted accurately at their voting facility. Postal Service Delays, Fraudulent Means of Casting Votes Seen as Biggest Problems Of four possible complications that could occur in the election, absentee ballots not being counted because they arrive late is the one that Americans see as the most problematic, with 55% predicting it will be a "major problem." Nearly as many, 53%, say people casting fraudulent votes is a major problem. Forty-seven percent of U.S. adults say that eligible voters not being allowed to cast a vote is a big problem for the election -- much higher than the 25% to 34% range Gallup recorded between 2004 and 2016. Forty-five percent say that ineligible voters casting votes is a major problem, similar to the previous high of 44% in 2008. Line graph. Americans' perceptions of the severity of voter eligibility issues. 47% say eligible voters not being allowed to cast a vote is a major problem. Additionally, 45% of Americans say votes cast by those not eligible to vote is a major problem. Late-arriving absentee ballots are the only voting issue that majorities of both major political parties see as a major problem: 51% of Republicans and 63% of Democrats. Republicans are more than twice as likely as Democrats to express concern about fraudulent means of casting votes and ineligible voters casting votes, while Democrats are about twice as likely as Republicans to anticipate that eligible voters not being allowed to cast a vote will be a major problem. Perceptions of the Severity of Various Election Issues, by Political Party Republicans Independents Democrats % Major problem % Major problem % Major problem Absentee ballots not being counted because the postal service delivered them to the election offices too late 51 52 63 People using illegal or fraudulent means to cast votes 70 54 32 Eligible voters not being allowed to cast a vote 32 47 62 Votes being cast by people who, by law, are not eligible to vote 67 42 24 Gallup, Sept. 14-28, 2020 Bottom Line Though most Americans have confidence in the accuracy of vote counting nationwide in the upcoming presidential election, the latest figure is lower than it has been in most prior elections. Confidence is particularly low among Republicans, likely reflecting the repeated warnings of their party's standard-bearer to be on the lookout for fraud. As is often seen in public attitudes, Americans are much more confident about vote-counting in their local area than they are about the national situation, but even this is down in the past decade. Sizable percentages of U.S. adults see major problems with voting in the coming elections, but these views vary: Republicans are more concerned about issues of voter fraud, and Democrats are more concerned about eligible voters being kept out of the voting process. The one uniting issue is late deliveries of ballots from the U.S. Postal Service, which is something the Postal Service itself has raised concerns about. Even before the challenges posed by COVID-19 and Trump's open skepticism of the process, the Gallup World Poll in 2019 found that the U.S. had "one of the worst ratings across the world's wealthiest democracies" when it came to confidence in the honesty of elections. View complete question responses and trends (PDF download). Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works. Hong Kong: Food premise checks boosted The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department today stepped up inspections at catering business premises in Tuen Mun and Central & Western Districts and conducted joint operations with Police at food premises in Tuen Mun. It inspected some 30 catering business premises in both districts. During the joint operation with Police in Tuen Mun, the department issued fixed penalty tickets to 19 people who were found seated at two tables inside a VIP room of a catering business premises for violating the requirement that no more than four people should be seated together at one table. It also initiated the procedure on prosecuting that premises and six other catering business premises in a large shopping complex in Admiralty for violating the directions in relation to catering businesses. They mainly covered violating the requirements on the distance between tables, wearing a mask at all times within the premises except when consuming food or drink and the number of people seated at one table. The department said it will continue to step up inspections at food premises across the city and conduct joint operations with Police to ensure that food business operators, food handlers and the public strictly comply with the directions under the relevant regulation. Enforcement action will be taken against offenders to minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission in food premises, it added. The department also appealed to food business operators and food handlers to comply with the regulation to keep workers, customers and the public safe. This story has been published on: 2020-10-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Stirling joined Robert C. OBrien, U.S. National Security Advisor; Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., former U.S. ambassador to Russia, China, and Singapore; and other representatives from government and the private sector to discuss current challenges and future opportunities around the world doTERRA Founding Executive and CEO David Stirling discussed current challenges and future opportunities for global peace and stability at the Hatch Center Symposium. doTERRA Founding Executive and CEO David Stirling discussed current challenges and future opportunities for global peace and stability at the Hatch Center Symposium. PLEASANT GROVE, UTAH, Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- doTERRA Founding Executive and CEO David Stirling joined a prestigious line-up of government and private sector representatives at the Hatch Center Symposium for Global Peace and Stability on October 8, 2020 in Salt Lake City to discuss current challenges and future opportunities. The featured speakers for the event were Robert C. OBrien, U.S. National Security Advisor, Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., former U.S. ambassador to Russia, China, and Singapore; and Stirling. Additional presenters included Khosrow Semnani, CEO of SK Hart Management; Carine Clark, Tech CEO and Silicon Slopes Executive Board Member; and Josh Holt, U.S. citizen and former political prisoner in Venezuela. Stirling was asked to give a private sector perspective to the symposiums considerations due to doTERRAs vast and unique global footprint. Today, doTERRA sells its products in over 125 countries, and sources more than 170 different oils from 47 countries. Through doTERRAs unique model, the company provides and directly supports over 300,000 sourcing related jobs, which impacts many more lives. Stirling opened the event speaking on how doTERRA is striving to do its part to enable peace within the communities and countries in which it operates. As a leader in economic growth and corporate accountability, doTERRA understands the responsibility and appreciates the opportunity to collaborate with individuals, organizations, and associations who are dedicated to facilitating dialogue and fostering solutions to issues faced around the world, said Stirling. It is doTERRAs feeling that people across countries and cultures share far more in common that brings them together, than differences that push them apart. Every effort that can be made at a government level to promote greater peace, stability, freedom, and human dignity, should be championed and supported. Story continues He added, Our mantra at doTERRA is to pursue whats pure. While this pursuit may start with pure essential oils, it also includes pursuit of pure business relationships and ends with pure intentions to bless humanity. He closed his address, which can be found here, by stating: [W]e honor, respect, and support the work that leaders around the world do to foster peace and stability among nations and people. We are particularly grateful for anyone who is laboring on behalf of these individuals who are finally being brought out of poverty and are most susceptible to the sometimes-unintended impact of government conflicts and trade disputes. About doTERRA doTERRA International is an integrative health and wellness company and the world leader in the Global Aromatherapy and Essential Oils market. doTERRA sources, tests, manufactures and distributes CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils and essential oil products to over eight million doTERRA Wellness Advocates and customers. Through industry leading responsible sourcing practices, doTERRA maintains the highest levels of quality, purity and sustainability in partnership with local growers around the world through Co-Impact Sourcing. The doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, offers resources and tools to global sourcing communities and charitable organizations for self-reliance, healthcare, education, sanitation, and the fight against human trafficking. Through the life-enhancing benefits of essential oils, doTERRA is changing the world one drop, one person, one community at a time. To learn more, visit www.doterra.com. Attachment CONTACT: Kevin Wilson doTERRA kawilson@doterra.com 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. (Photo : Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 11: Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg smiles at the conclusion of his testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill April 11, 2018 in Washington, DC. This is the second day of testimony before Congress by Zuckerberg, 33, after it was reported that 87 million Facebook users had their personal information harvested by Cambridge Analytica, a British political consulting firm linked to the Trump campaign. Mark Zuckerberg's $250 million donations triggered a gold rush across the United States as local governments and election officers rush to get hold of the money to use and deploy it. Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, announced about the reward just about two months before the US Election 2020 in November, which led election officers to scramble to get access to the cash before the deadline. This huge donation as reported in Vox would greatly help election directors in rural areas and large cities to ensure health measures to protect voters from the dreaded coronavirus, which already infected more than 7 million people in the U.S. alone. With about a month before the elections, election officers are confronted with financial inadequacies. About 20% of the nation's 2,000 election sites have already accessed the fund. The Middle for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) recently extended the software deadline to October 15 from the earlier schedule of October 1. The late checks would allow some of these districts to bloat their election budgets by as much as 30% to 40% while Zuckerberg's donations would replenish funding that was depleted by the cost of the pandemic. The amounts received differ depending on the location and the size of the population. Small coastal cities in Maine got a $5,000 grant while Dallas County, Texas received $15 million. While some election officers were surprised by this news, they have spent much of the money as soon as they confirmed it to be true. For instance, Lansing, Michigan election officers purchased additional poll drop-boxes when they heard that Zuckerberg will give them $440,000 in cash, although the money is yet to arrive. Meanwhile, as the deadline was extended, some election specialists raised concerns that the funds will be received late, which may result in flooding voting sites of work with thousands of supplies that they might not optimally use before the Election Day. Virginia's York County elections director Walt Latham said he may just not have time to use the funds. "This isn't a peaceful time to start out initiating new initiatives," he noted. Read also: TV AD Attacking The Way Facebook CEO Handles Misinformation and Hate Will Air During 2020 VP Debate How is the Zuckerberg fund being used? While some election officers say the guidelines on how to spend the cash allows it to be largely "spendable" as they can use it to reimburse any prices for election equipment that they may have purchased back in June or spend the money even after two months from the elections, perhaps to pay allowances for the ballot staff. Meanwhile, unspent money would need to be reimbursed. Ohio's Auglaize County election director Michelle Wilcox went to spent about $60 using her own money to purchase the last five glove packs in Lowe's store. While she was able to do this, despite a 10% deduction on the county's $400,000 election funds, she was assured to get reimbursement from the Zuckerberg fund. Knowing the funds will be soon accessible gives a reassurance to 'Go forward and get what we'd like now," as she will not shell out $60 out of her private cash. Meanwhile, Zuckerberg funds may be used to refill the election budgets as they may have already spent much of it. For example, election officers in Jackson County, Illinois said they have already spent about $70,000 of their budget for additional protections against coronavirus. Thus, the $43,000 that they received from Zuckerberg will replenish the funds. Read also: Antitrust Law and Congress Finds Amazon, Apple, Google, and Facebook to Abuse Monopoly Power-Will They Be Forced to Break-up This is owned by Tech Times Written by CJ Robles 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Six members of Jehovahs Witnesses banned in Russia receive suspended sentence flickr.com/ Counselman Collection 14:25 08/10/2020 MOSCOW, October 8 (RAPSI) A court in Russias Ulyanovsk passed suspended sentence on six members of Jehovahs Witnesses, a religious organization banned in Russia, the press service of the regional Prosecutor Office reports Thursday. The defendands received suspended terms varying from 2 years and 2 months to 3.5 years. They were found guilty of participating in a religious community prohibited in Russia by court as extremist. Prosecutors earlier demanded prison terms ranging from 3 to 7 years. Investigators claimed that a resident of Ulyanovsk had organized holding of meetings. During these meetings he has cited religious texts included in the federal list of extremist materials. Moreover, the man collected money under the guise of donation; other defendants took part in the meetings and propagated the Jehovahs Witnesses doctrine. In April 2017, the Supreme Court of Russia ordered liquidation of the Jehovah's Witnesses managing organization and all its 395 local branches. In August, the Administrative Centre of Jehovah's Witnesses was added to the list of banned extremist organizations. Jehovahs Witnesses religious organization has had many legal problems in Russia. Since 2009, 95 materials distributed by the organization in the country have been declared extremist and 8 Jehovah's Witnesses branches have been liquidated, according to the Justice Ministry. Jehovah's Witnesses is an international religious organization based in Brooklyn, New York. Since 2004 several branches and chapters of the organization were banned and shut down in various regions of Russia. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. San Francisco, 8 Oct 2020: The Report BFSI Security Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Physical Security (Software, Service), By Information Security, By End Use (Banking, Insurance Companies), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2019 - 2025 The global BFSI security market size is estimated to reach USD 74.3 billion by 2025, expanding at a CAGR of 13.1%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Increasing risk of data loss owing to cyberattacks on banks and insurance companies is anticipated to propel the growth. Data related to the banking, financial services and insurance security (BFSI) industry is highly sensitive in nature as it contains personal or financial credentials. Thereby, cyber threats have prompted financial institutions to deploy reliable safety solutions at their premises. Frequent emergence of new malware variants is driving demand for advanced safety solutions in the banking, financial services and insurance security market. For instance, in 2016, a mobile malware, masked as an application upgrade, was discovered. The malware displayed fake sites over authentic banking homepages for filching banking credentials of consumers. A generic solution would not have been enough to track this malware and that would have led to loss of large amounts of sensitive financial data. Banking and insurance payment gateways require robust safety solutions to prevent breaches and enable secure transactions. Financial databases stored on cloud create need to verify safety systems of the cloud service provider. The market is lucrative in developing regions, such as Asia Pacific, owing to digitalized business operations in the BFSI industry. Financial companies are stressing on consumer data protection and are implementing solutions such as firewall and threat management software. It has caused various companies to make huge investments in cybersecurity. Furthermore, governments across the globe have laid down stringent regulations to protect digital data related to BFSI. Such regulations have mandated response testing of threat management systems used in banks and insurance companies. The industry includes a large number of Tier 1 companies that account for a majority share in the market. Industry giants acquire or collaborate with smaller players for sharing expertise and resources. Collaborations among big and small market players enable development of innovative products and services. The market is highly competitive in nature owing to the presence of major market players offering advanced safety solutions to the BFSI industry. Companies invest in R&D to develop innovative products for financial institutions. In addition, they adopt business strategies such as mergers and acquisitions to expand their product portfolio and gain a competitive edge. Access Research Report of BFSI Security Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/bfsi-security-market Further key findings from the study suggest: The Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) segment is expected witness the CAGR of 18.7% over the forecast period owing to increasing cybercrimes in financial institutions The encryption software segment is anticipated to exhibit the highest CAGR of 17.5% over the forecast period owing to rising need for preventing unauthorized access and hacking of data Asia Pacific is estimated to be the fastest-growing regional market due to growth of fintech companies encouraging implementation of threat management solutions Key market players in the BFSI security market include DXC Technology Company; Axis Communications; Honeywell International, Inc.; McAfee, Inc.; Sophos Ltd.; Symantec Corporation; IBM Corporation; Dell EMC; Bosch Security Systems; and Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. Browse more reports of this category by Grand View Research at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry/emerging-and-next-generation-technologies Grand View Research has segmented the global BFSI security market based on physical security, information security, end use, and region: BFSI Physical Security Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2014 - 2025) Software Video Surveillance Access Control Intrusion and Fire Detection Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) Service Consulting & Training Services Integration & Maintenance Services Managed Security Services BFSI Information Security Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2014 - 2025) Software Antivirus & Antimalware Data Loss Protection Disaster Recovery Encryption Firewall Identity Access Management Security and Vulnerability Management Unified Threat Management Service Consulting & Training Services Integration & Maintenance Services Managed Security Services BFSI Security End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2014 - 2025) Banking Insurance Companies BFSI Security Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2014 - 2025) North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America MEA Access Press Release of BFSI Security Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-bfsi-security-market About Grand View Research Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare. For More Information:www.grandviewresearch.com Apple confirmed what many analysts had expected: that it would introduce new editions of the iPhone on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at a virtual event. "Hi, Speed," is the title of the invite Apple sent Tuesday to media, but the general public is also invited to watch, beginning at 1 p.m. ET on Apple's website and YouTube channel. Update: From Apple to Xbox: Mark your calendar. Here come the new fall gadgets Wearables: Smartwatch upgrade: How Apple, Samsung, Fitbit, Garmin's latest devices compare on health features The "speed," refers to the new iPhone models, which are expected to connect to the new, faster, wireless standard of 5G, which is rolling out nationally from AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. While the current 5G in the United States is not considerably faster than 4G, and also isn't available everywhere, it's expected to grow substantially in the coming years and improve. The new iPhones traditionally are released in September, but due to COVID and what it did to manufacturing, Apple earlier had announced that the iPhone release would be delayed a few weeks. Apple still held its traditional September product reveal but devoted it to new editions of the iPad and Apple Watch and saved the iPhone for a second event. Apple's next iPhone event Analysts expect Apple to release four new models of the iPhone, all with 5G. Rival Samsung has released several new Galaxy S models this year, all with 5G and Google just announced two new editions of the Pixel phone, also with 5G. The new iPhones are expected to have 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch screen on the low side, with the Pro models clocking in with a 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch display. That would make the 6.7 inch model the largest iPhone ever. The current iPhone 11 Pro Max has a 6.5 inch screen. Daniel Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities, believes Apple will sell between 75 million to 80 million of the new iPhones this year. Follow USA TODAY's Jefferson Graham (@jeffersongraham) on Twitter This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Apple expected to introduce new iPhones Oct. 13 at "Hi, Speed" event. Algeria is readying for a constitutional referendum that the establishment says will usher in a "New Republic" and boost freedoms, but the opposition dismisses as window-dressing by a repressive regime. With a month to go before the November 1 vote, many ordinary Algerians -- struggling during a deep economic crisis that has seen unemployment soar -- appear unaware of the technical details of the government's proposals. And opposition leaders say President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's flagship initiative fails to provide meaningful political change in the North African nation. "It is yet another coup against popular sovereignty," said Djamal Bahloul, of the Front of Socialist Forces (FFS), Algeria's oldest opposition party. "The authorities continue to concoct constitutions through technical commissions or experts -- while ignoring the people." An unprecedented protest movement, known as "Hirak", mobilised from February 2019 and in April that year people massed in their hundreds of thousands to force veteran ruler Abdelaziz Bouteflika to resign after two decades in power. Tebboune won a presidential election in December, but the protest movement boycotted a vote it derided as a sham and even the official turnout was less than 40 percent. Tebboune served as prime minister under Bouteflika and is seen by protesters as emblematic of an old regime that they want to dismantle. Peaceful demonstrations continued, until the need to social distance brought a curtain down on street mobilisations earlier this year. - 'Radical change' - In a bid to shore up his mandate, Tebboune pledged to revise the constitution -- which Bouteflika modified for his needs -- and allow people to approve or reject proposals in a referendum. In January, the president appointed a commission of constitutional experts, who held consultations with political parties and civil society leaders. Story continues The commission submitted its proposals in March, and the draft changes were adopted without debate by parliament in early September. The government claims it offers "radical change in the mode of governance" by better separating powers and boosting transparency. Critics point out that parliament remains dominated by two allied parties who held power under the old regime. They are the National Liberation Front (FLN), Bouteflika's party, and the Democratic National Rally (RND). FLN secretary general Abou El Fadhl Baadji touts the constitutional changes as a "qualitative leap" that gives birth to a "New Republic where justice, law and the equitable distribution of the country's wealth reign". Tayeb Zitouni, the RND's secretary general, is similarly enthusiastic. - Opposition fragmented - But many opposition supporters see the referendum as a cynical way for the government to appear to bring change while maintaining its power. "This constitutional revision is only there to safeguard the system," said Ramdane Taazibt, a leader of the leftist Workers' Party, lamenting a continued "concentration of powers in the hands of the president." Athmane Mazzouz, spokesman for the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) party, said the reforms would change little for ordinary people. "Each head of state who comes to power tries to carve out his own constitution to give himself more power," Mazzouz said. "We call on Algerians not to go and vote," he added. But the opposition are themselves fragmented. Other factions include the Movement for the Society of Peace (MSP), an Islamist party close to the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Pact for the Democratic Alternative (PAD), a party close to the Hirak movement. Some parties have proposed a direct vote to elect a constituent assembly. The MSP, the opposition party with the largest number of seats in parliament -- 34 out of 462 -- has called on its members to take part in the referendum, but vote to reject the proposals. The party condemns "secular" elements of the reform, including a provision that would shield mosques from "political or ideological influence", fearing this could undermine the influence of religion. It also objects to proposals to ensure women are protected "against all forms of violence in all places and in all circumstances", on the basis that this would "threaten the private family sphere". The reforms are set to be put to a referendum on November 1, the anniversary of the start of Algeria's 1954-1962 war of independence from France. amb-agr/pjm/dwo/kir 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. WASHINGTON More than 5.6 million people have voted early in the presidential election, vastly exceeding the pace of 2016 as Democrats amass a commanding lead in returned mail ballots. In the 2016 election, about 75,000 people had voted early one month from the election, across significantly fewer states that started early voting and reported their numbers, according to the United States Elections Project. The national aggregation of in-person and mail-in vote totals includes more than 20 states that started voting before the election Nov. 3. Vote totals are the numbers states reported through Tuesday. Two factors help explain the massive spike. Several states changed laws from four years ago to either offer or expand early voting, and more people are taking advantage of it, particularly voting by mail, amid the coronavirus pandemic. "Yes, some of it's supply, but most of it's demand," said Michael McDonald, associate professor of political science at the University of Florida, who manages the United States Elections Project, which tracks early voting totals. Voters line up in Virginia Beach, Va., for early voting Sept. 18. Election 2020: When early voting and mail voting for president begins in every state The strong early voting turnout comes as Democratic nominee Joe Biden maintains a strong national polling lead over President Donald Trump. Some people could vote earlier because they're wary about the performance of the U.S. Postal Service and want to get their ballots in the mail as soon as possible. Long lines at in-person polling places suggest voters are more excited about this election than they were in 2016. Florida has had the most early voters (948,000), followed by Virginia (770,000) and the battleground states Michigan (637,000) and Wisconsin (577,000). South Dakota has seen the greatest percentage of increase in voters in relation to 2016 overall turnout. Twenty-three percent of South Dakota's 2016 turnout has voted early. That's followed by Virginia (19% of its 2016 turnout), Wisconsin (19%) and Wyoming (15%). Story continues "Those are just staggering numbers to see that many people have already voted in these states," McDonald said. He called it "good news" for voters and election officials who feared a rush of mail ballots around Election Day. "We're no longer looking at potentially this huge crush of ballots that are going to come in right at the end of the election." 'He's scaring our own voters': Republicans run into a Donald Trump problem as they push mail voting Good news for Democrats, but bad news for Republicans? Not so fast It might not be good news for Trump and Republicans, who lag Democrats considerably in the number of mail ballots submitted. Democrats account for 55%, or 1.2 million of the 2.1 million people who have voted by mail across the seven early voting states where voters register by party: Florida, North Carolina, Iowa, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and South Dakota. Republicans account for 24%, or 508,000 mail votes, in these seven states. Voters with no party affiliation made up 20%, or 417,000 votes. Democrats requested nearly twice as many mail ballots nationwide than Republicans, probably the result of Trump's months-long assault on the legitimacy of mail ballots. "There isn't a reason for Republicans to panic just because Democrats are 'winning' the mail vote," said Chris Wilson, a Republican pollster, who has worked for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. He said the numbers reflect a mail-voting advantage for Democrats that polls forecast long ago. "Every vote counts just once whether it is cast today or cast on Election Day." "That being said," he added, "the concerning thing for Republicans has to be that once a Democratic vote is cast, it can't be taken back. So our window to message and convert any of these voters away from voting for Democrats is shorter than the number of days left in the campaign." The more Democratic votes get cast early, he said, the less time Republican candidates have to reverse things "before all we're producing is regrets from people who already cast their ballots." In Florida where Republicans historically have a strong advantage in absentee voting 497,000 Democrats have returned mail ballots, compared with 270,000 Republicans. In North Carolina, 206,000 Democrats have returned mail ballots, more than triple the 68,000 Republicans who have. Thirty-five percent of North Carolina Democrats who requested mail ballots have returned them, compared with 29% of Republicans. Even in ultra-conservative South Dakota, where Trump won the 2016 election by 30 percentage points, Democrats have returned nearly as many mail ballots (26,900), as Republicans (29,699). Fifty-seven percent of Democrats who requested mail ballots have returned them, a greater share than the 45% of Republicans. "Trump supporters have been listening to the president, his rhetoric about mail ballot fraud, and they decided not to vote by mail," McDonald said, adding that not only did Democrats request more mail ballots than Republicans, they are also returning them at higher rates. "Both of these things are highly unusual. Usually more Republicans vote by mail and they return their ballots at a higher rate when it is also said and done. To see things turned on their head is very unusual." More: Some Democrats warn Trump may use 'red mirage' to prematurely declare victory while absentee ballots are being counted Whit Ayres, a Republican pollster working for the Republican senatorial and congressional committees said, "It's reason of concern for both parties, but for different reasons." Ayres said Republicans will be fine if their voters show up on Election Day or to vote early in person. "It's a concern if the pandemic continues to rage and if seniors who had voted for Republican candidates in the past get scared to go to the polls at a time when it's too late to vote for mail." He said, "It's a concern for Democrats because mail ballots are far more likely to be disqualified for various reasons than are in-person ballots." Samantha Zager, a spokeswoman for the Trump campaign, said that despite Democrats leading in mail voting, it isn't by the ratio Biden needs. "The math simply isnt adding up the way Democrats expected," she said. "Across multiple states, Democrats are failing to outpace Republican ballot requests and returns by the ratio Democrats need to win, which is why weve seen them shift to a push for in-person voting. Mandi Merritt, national press secretary for the Republican National Committee, also expressed confidence: Our voters are highly motivated by their enthusiasm for President Trump and are going to vote many just prefer to vote in person either by Early Voting or on Election Day." Polling has shown that Trump voters are nearly twice as likely to vote on Election Day than Democrats. Stressing "this election's not over," McDonald said it's possible that Republicans make up the disadvantage in person on Election Day. "The other scenario is that Democrats are just more enthused to vote than Republicans, and it's showing up in these numbers," he said. "There are two plausible stories here." He said it's unclear whether the spike in early voting will continue up to the election or whether the same people who voted early in 2016 are just voting even earlier. McDonald was among election experts who predicted a historically high turnout in the presidential race even before votes were cast. He estimated last year that 150 million people would vote in the 2020 election, 12 million more than the 138 million in 2016. It would make the election the highest turnout ever for a presidential election by raw votes and the highest rate among eligible voters since 1908. Not sure if youre registered to vote? Check your status. Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Election 2020: Fueled by Democrats, early voting is way up People One source says of the couple: "She knows what Donald wants from her, but the rest of her life is dictated by her own interests. Each has come to respect what the other wants and needs" Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (21) Watch: Mum turns her home into 1970s by only buying second-hand interiors When it comes to interiors trends, the 1970s aesthetic will always divide opinion. Some describe decor from the disco years as eclectic filled with bright colours and mismatched accessories, but others find the linoleum floors and wood panelled walls a bit tacky. One woman, though, has fully embraced the 1970s vibe and has transformed her entire home into a tribute to the era. Estelle Bilson, 43, has spent the past five years collecting a mix of vintage pieces from auctions, charity shops and eBay. The results are pretty impressive. Estelle Bilson's home is a colourful mix of 1970s nostalgia. (SWNS) Bilsons love of all things retro was taken to the next level when she moved into her Greater Manchester three-bed home five years ago. The house, which needed some TLC when she arrived, quickly became a 1970s shrine. Read more: Homebase launches green shopping aisles Each room is painted in orange and green hues and aside from a mattress and a hoover, Bilson is proud that she hasnt bought anything else considered modern. From disco ball light fixtures to old-school kitchen appliances, the mum-of-one has fully embraced retro living. Bilson's home needed a bit of work when they moved in. (SWNS) Bilson spent around 1,500 transforming her property. (SWNS) Bilson, who is an upholstery designer, estimates the revamp cost her 1,500 in total, after she found most of the pieces second-hand. She picks homeware based on her clothing tastes, which are also a tribute to her favourite era. It's nostalgia for me, she explained. I started collecting in 1990 when I was about 13, and it went from there. When I was at university you could pick up 1970s bits and bobs on the street when people were having a clear-out. A lot of my artwork at school and university was inspired by abstract impressionists like Jackson Pollock, Warhol and Rothko. I guess it's something I've always been interested in. I do love anything old, from art deco onwards, but there's something about the 70s that's so evocative to me. I absolutely love kitsch. I'm a bit like a kitsch magpie; anything really random, gold, shiny, multi coloured and the weirder the better. That's why I've got the tiger and flamingo sculptures. Story continues I have vintage appliances in the kitchen too. Things were built to last back then and to be repaired, not discarded. Read more: Former lighthouse goes on sale for 1m Bilson spends her evenings scouring websites including eBay for 1970s pieces. She admits she often stumbles across things when shes not even looking, including her space-age bed. Bilson's bedrooms are kitted out with Mad Men vibes. (SWNS) Bilson's bathroom is a throwback to the disco era. (SWNS) Despite enjoying the styling, there are certain aspects of her home that Bilson draws the retro line at. We have a modern TV - it's a necessity really with a child. We have smartphones and laptops too. We don't live in the 70s, we just like the styling. I rarely buy new because I know I can save money by buying pre-loved. Good design is good design. But I drew the line at mattresses. I wouldn't go second-hand there. A good night's sleep is essential. It's vintage style, not lifestyle in the home. We live a modern life just with vintage things around us. Like modern antiques. Watch: The five happiest places to live in the UK revealed Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Royal family does not want Meghan and Harry to visit UK Gigi Hadid imitates image of Russian Armenian poet in national costume (PHOTOS) Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Tata Steel Masters: Magnus Carlsen is sole leader Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Manchester United beat West Ham Hoffenheim lose to Borussia Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor Arsenal intend to extend deal of Mikel Arteta Johnny Depp returns to cinema after high-profile scandal with his ex-wife British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Why is Kanye West threatening Netflix? Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO Vaccination against COVID-19 is mandatory for footballers in Brazil First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas become parents Arnold Schwarzenegger faces accident (PHOTOS) AusOpen: Simona Halep came out in the fourth round Comedian Louis Anderson dies aged 68 Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran Barcelona want to sign Juventus defender Ansu Fati may miss 2 months because of injury France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Cristiano Ronaldo may miss home match against West Ham Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws Antonio Rudiger demands annual salary of 55 million euros from Chelsea 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 Aston Villa sign new contract with Emiliano Martinez 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 Main signs of stroke Lavrov summarizes the results of talks with Blinken Netflix announces creation of entire universe based on The Squid Game series AusOpen Rafael Nadal defeats Karen Khachanov UN agrees on definition of Holocaust denial Lavrov and Blinken talks kick off in Geneva Juventus make offer to Dusan Vlahovic 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 Why is Omicron strain so dangerous for children? 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 First film studio in space to be set up for Tom Cruise movie Armenia FM highlights need for full resumption of Karabakh peace talks Singer Robbie Williams to sell three of Banksy's works 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 Tottenham extend contract with Hugo Lloris Armenia Tourism Committee has new chairperson AusOpen Zverev moves into 4th round 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 American cult actor and rock musician Meat Loaf dies aged 75 Warships of Russia, Iran and China work out counteraction to maritime piracy Armenia first deputy minister of justice dismissed Roma congratulate Mkhitaryan Israeli defense minister tests positive for COVID-19 Karabakh conflict resumption likelihood is moderate, its impact on US interests is low, report says Liverpool set new record It was always going to be about the two faces of America. One: white, male, midwestern, evangelical Christian. The other: Black, female, coastal, progressive. What wasnt so predictable about the face-to-face at Wednesdays US vice-presidential debate was that Mike Pence would show up with bloodshot eye never a good look during a pandemic or that a fly would nestle in his snowy white hair. Related: Pence-Harris vice-presidential debate: five key takeaways Equally striking was Kamala Harriss ability to weaponise facial expressions. The California senators fusillade of raised eyebrows, pursed lips and withering stares at her opponent will live in Democrats memory long after the words are forgotten (and probably be viewed by Republicans as sneering elitism). It was also notable that both candidates did a better job than their bosses in last weeks debate apocalypse. Both were adept at sidestepping questions such as whether they had discussed the issue of presidential disability with their septuagenarian running mates in favour of talking points. At times, it almost felt like a brief holiday in political normality. This may also have been a sneak preview of the 2024 election. Harris was on her game and looked ready to take over from Trumps Democratic presidential challenger, Joe Biden. Pence, the current vice-president, used attack lines on taxes, the Green New Deal and the supreme court that Trump failed to land against Biden last week. It was hardly a surprise that Pence reeked of white male privilege; it was less anticipated that the target was the moderator, Susan Page of USA Today, as much as Harris. Showing no respect for her questions, rules or timekeeping, he just kept talking and often called her Susan. Struggling to gain control, she pleaded: I did not create the rules for tonight ... Im here to enforce them. So with that, Republicans may have lost more suburban women voters, if that is even possible. But the bottom line is that this VP debate wont change the race. Story continues It took place in Salt Lake City, Utah, with the candidates separated by two Perspex screens, a metaphor if ever there was one for Americas divisions and self-affirming bubbles. Pence wore a dark suit, white shirt and Trumpian red tie; Harris sported a black jacket, dark blouse and necklace; both wore Stars and Stripes badges. The former prosecutor made her case to the jury with a bald statement about the coronavirus pandemic that would prove impossible to top: The American people have witnessed the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country. She added for good measure that this administration has forfeited their right to re-election based on this. Pence had the unenviable task of defending the indefensible. From the very first day, President Donald Trump has put the health of America first, he claimed unconvincingly, during a pandemic that has claimed more than 210,000 American lives and infected more than 7 million people. Harris pulled another of her scathing lawyerly expressions. Pence, head of the White House coronavirus taskforce, went on to offer a highly disingenuous defence that bore little relation to Harriss critique: When you say what the American people have done over these last eight months hasnt worked, thats a great disservice to the sacrifices of the American people. Pence also claimed that the Biden-Harris plan for dealing with Covid-19 looks awfully similar to what the Trump administration is already doing. It looks a bit like plagiarism, which is something Joe Biden knows a little bit about. It was a reference to Biden failing to credit the British Labour leader Neil Kinnock in a speech 33 years ago. Harris shook her head wryly. Mike Pence receives a kiss from a maskless Karen Pence, AKA Mother. Photograph: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters Yet twice in the debate Pence used the line, Youre entitled to your opinion but youre not entitled to your own facts, without crediting the man who coined it, the late Democratic senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Good line, said Harris sarcastically. It was a bold line of attack for a campaign and administration that has been caught in thousands of lies or misleading claims. Would Harris take a Covid-19 vaccine if it became available? If the public health professionals, if Dr Fauci, if the doctors tell us that we should take it Ill be the first in line to take it, she said. Absolutely. But if Donald Trump tells us that we should take it Im not taking it. Pence demanded: Senator, I just ask you, stop playing politics with peoples lives. The reality is that we will have a vaccine, we believe, before the end of this year. And it will have the capacity to save countless American lives. And your continuous undermining of confidence in a vaccine is just unacceptable. Harris smiled and shook her head. Later, she delivered a memorable warning about the Trump administrations concerted efforts to undo Barack Obamas signature healthcare law. If you have a pre-existing condition heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer theyre coming for you. If you love someone who has a pre-existing condition, theyre coming for you. If you are under the age of 26 on your parents coverage, theyre coming for you. It was perhaps the most quotable riff of a night that was more courteous than the horror show in Cleveland last week. When Trump interrupted like a jackhammer, Biden eventually snapped: Will you shut up, man? Harris had a more elegant rebuke prepared: Mr Vice-President, Im speaking. She deployed it a few times but, on one occasion, during a tangle over Bidens tax policy, Pence nipped in: Itd be important if you said the truth. Harris smiled and paused, fatally, allowing the vice-president to seize the initiative and state: Joe Biden said twice in the debate last week that hes going to repeal the Trump tax cuts. The debate moved on, unlikely to change many minds. Perhaps tellingly, Pence was denying the existence of systemic racism when the fly spent two minutes on his head. The lie will be forgotten by Thursday afternoon. The fly will not. It evoked comparisons with the end of Alfred Hitchcocks Psycho in which Norman Bates, channeling his mother, spots a fly and says: Why, she wouldnt even harm a fly At the end, Pences wife, Karen, joined him on stage and was not wearing a face mask. Pence reportedly calls her mother. Democratic candidate Joe Biden stated on Tuesday, October 7, that his and U.S. President Donald Trump's debate should be canceled as the latter may still have a COVID-19 infection by October 15, the day of the debate. According to Biden, "I think if he still has COVID, then we shouldn't have a debate. I don't know what [Trump's] status is. I'm looking forward to being able to debate him, but I just hope all the protocols are followed," reported DISRN. President Trump announced that he contracted COVID-19 last Friday, October 2, three days following the first debate. However, speculations were made that he was diagnosed as early as Thursday. Trump campaign members, West Wing, and the Republican Party have also made declarations that they contracted the viral disease. Biden: Strict Measures Should Be Followed Biden asserted that the slated debate in Miami should merely be staged under rigid health measures. He called the outbreak affecting Trump and other White House officials as a very serious dilemma. According to campaign spokesperson Tim Murtaugh, "President Trump will be healthy and will be there. There's no getting out of this one for Biden, and his protectors in the media can't cover for him," reported Reuters. Biden underscored the necessary rigid guidelines as too many people had been infected. He remarked that strict rules are essential for the event slated to be held in Miami, Florida. The Biden party has continued to divulge its nominee's test results, who again tested negative for the COVID-19 on Tuesday. Also Read: 5 Celebrities Rumored to Be Running for US President Biden added, "And so I'll be guided by the guidelines of the Cleveland Clinic, and what the docs say is the right thing to do -- if and when he shows up for debate." The former vice president is anticipating the debate with Trump, reported CNN. Trump's Return to the White House Following days of contradictory advisories from doctors and aides about the 74-year-old president's condition and three nights at the hospital, he returned to the White House on Monday. His doctor remarked that Trump exhibited no COVID-19 symptoms and was in good condition. Trump spent four days at the Walter Reed Medical Center for COVID-19 treatment. Upon his return to the White House, Trump said that he is doing better and perhaps immune. Biden stated that Trump should base his debate participation from health experts' advisories. Trump's physician, Dr. Sean Conley, has reported that the U.S. president has been free of symptoms. On Tuesday morning, Trump tweeted that he is anticipating the debate on the night in Miami and that he expects the debate to be great. Miami's mayor, where the debate will occur, also thinks that he should not attend the debate should he remain in an ill condition. Biden was tested for COVID-19 on Tuesday for at least the fourth time in the recent days. The Democrat told the media that he would heed experts' opinion in determining whether it is safe for him to face off next week against Trump in the second of three scheduled debates with the TV personality-turned-president. Related Article: Trump Taking Experimental, Unproven COVID-19 Medicine @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. 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. In this undated image from video provided by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals on Friday, Oct. 2, 2020, vials are inspected at the company's facilities in New York state, for efforts on an experimental coronavirus antibody drug. Antibodies are proteins the body makes when an infection occurs; they attach to a virus and help the immune system eliminate it. (Regeneron via AP) They're not cures and it's not likely that everyone will be able to get them as President Donald Trump has suggested. But experimental antibody drugs like the one Trump was given are among the most promising therapies being tested for treating and preventing coronavirus infections. Eli Lilly and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. are asking the U.S. government to allow emergency use of their antibody drugs, which aim to help the immune system clear the virus. The medicines are still in testing; their safety and effectiveness are not yet known. Trump is among fewer than 10 people who were able to access the Regeneron one under "compassionate use" rules, without enrolling in a study. Q: How do they work? A: Antibodies are proteins the body makes when an infection occurs; they attach to a virus and help it be eliminated. Vaccines mimic an infection to spur antibody production. But it can take several weeks after a vaccine or natural infection for the most effective antibodies to form. The experimental drugs are concentrated versions of specific antibodies that worked best against the coronavirus in lab and animal tests. In theory, they start helping right away. The one-time treatment is given through an IVit's not like a pill that people can take at home. Q: How do the drugs differ? A: Regeneron is using two antibodies to enhance chances its therapy will work even if the virus evades one. The company made a successful Ebola combo antibody treatment this way. Lilly is testing two different antibodiesone with the Canadian company AbCellera and another with a Chinese company, Junshi Biosciencesindividually and in combination. Others testing similar drugs are GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology Inc., which says it has engineered antibodies to last longer than they usually do. Amgen, Adaptive Biotechnologies and the Singapore biotech company Tychan Pte Ltd. also have studies underway. Q: When might they be available? A: Eli Lilly and Regeneron have asked the Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization. During public health emergencies the FDA can speed drugs to market based on a lower standard of evidence than is normally required. Drugmakers need only show that the expected benefits of their therapies outweigh the risks for treating COVID-19. There is no deadline for the FDA to rule on the drugs, but it typically makes decisions on such emergency applications within days or weeks. Q: Who would get them? A: Researchers are still trying to determine the best candidates for antibody treatment. Some studies involve newly infected people to see if early treatment can lower the risk of becoming sick. Other studies in hospitalized patients aim to prevent serious illness, complications or death. Researchers also are testing these drugs to try to prevent infection in people at high risk of it, such as health workers, housemates of people with COVID-19, and nursing home workers and residents. Q: Will there be enough for everyone? A: It depends on how potent the drugs prove to be, something still being studied. If a high dose is needed to be effective, it will mean that fewer people can be treated with limited supplies. Regeneron says it has enough doses for approximately 50,000 patients and expects 300,000 available within the next few months. Under a $450 million contract, the federal government has agreed to buy initial supplies of Regeneron's drug and distribute them at no cost to U.S. patients. Lilly says it expects to have 1 million doses this year of the single antibody that it submitted to FDA. However, the company's research has focused on a combination of two antibodies to treat COVID-19 patients. Lilly said it expects to have just 50,000 doses of that combo this year. Q: What's the evidence that they work? A: Lilly and Regeneron have revealed only partial results in news releases; they haven't been published or vetted by independent scientists. Lilly said Wednesday that its two-antibody combo reduced symptoms, the amount of virus, hospitalizations and ER visits for patients with mild or moderate COVID-19. The results are an interim look at a mid-stage study in which 112 people received the antibodies and 156 got a placebo. The amount of virus was significantly lower 11 days later in those given the drugthe main goal of the study. About 5.8% of patients given placebo required hospitalization or an emergency room visit versus 0.9% of those given the antibodies. Previously, Regeneron said its drug reduced the amount of virus and symptoms in non-hospitalized patients. The partial results came from the first 275 patients enrolled in ongoing studies. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Protesters march in Wauwatosa, Wis., around a line of National Guardsmen protecting the Wauwautosa City Hall on Wednesday night. (AP) A police officer who killed a 17-year-old outside of a mall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin will not be charged in the black teenagers death after the district attorney found he had an actual subjective belief that deadly force was necessary. Protests sparked throughout the state after Joseph Mensah, a black police officer in Wauwatosa, shot 17-year-old Alvin Cole outside Mayfair Mall in February after police responded to a reported disturbance at the shopping center. Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, in a 14-page letter laying out his rationale, said evidence showed Cole fled from police carrying a stolen 9 mm handgun. He cited squad car audio evidence, along with testimony from Mr Mensah and two fellow officers, that he said showed Mr Cole had fired a shot while fleeing and refused commands to drop the gun. The teenager was the third person Mr Mensah has fatally shot since becoming an officer. BLM protesters outside of Safety Building in Milwaukee. Decision on Wauwatosa Police Officer Joseph Mensah expected soon. Still awaiting verdict. pic.twitter.com/1PWKA7Q3gB Mythinformed (@MythinformedMKE) October 7, 2020 The National Guard is gearing up for Wauwatosa, WI tonight. pic.twitter.com/sKuYDTAAif Mythinformed (@MythinformedMKE) October 7, 2020 Governor Tony Evers announced on Wednesday that he had activated National Guard members as a precaution, though he didn't say how many or how they were being used. Scores of people surrounded the Milwaukee County Public Safety Building as the teens attorney and family members met with Mr Chisholm, some chanting, "Say his name! Alvin Cole!" and "Justice! When do we want it? Now!" Story continues Mr Cole's sister, Taleavia Cole, disputed the district attorneys conclusion that her brother had fired at Mr Mensah, and said he should not be allowed to continue working as an officer. "The fight continues. It doesn't end here," she said. "It's time for DA Chisholm to retire or step down." Mr Chisholm also said that he didn't believe the state had enough evidence to disprove that Mr Mensah was defending himself or others, so he couldn't meet the burden required to bring charges. Kimberley Motley, a family attorney for the Coles, seized on Mr Chisholm's wording. "Chisholm did not say that the shooting was justified," she said. "And that's really important." Ms Motley, who also represents the families of the two other people killed by Mr Mensah, said if he had been fired earlier then Mr Cole would still be alive. "We are not done fighting," she said. "We are still going to fight for a conviction of Officer Joseph Mensah." The Wauwatosa Police and Fire Commission suspended Mr Mensah with pay in July, and he has appealed that suspension. The commission hired former US Attorney Steven Biskupic to investigate the case with an eye toward what discipline Mr Mensah might face. In a report released earlier Wednesday, Mr Biskupic recommended that Mr Mensah be fired, saying the risk he might shoot a fourth person is too great. The Associated Press contributed to this report URI, the world's largest grassroots interfaith peacebuilding network, will be profiled in the upcoming season of The Visionaries, the award-winning public television series hosted by acclaimed actor Sam Waterston. (Background) Golden Women Vision is a URI member group in Uganda featured in this episode. It is comprised of women who were former sex slaves kidnapped during the conflict in Northern Uganda, and who are now providing psychological, social, and economic support to women returning to their communities. (Foreground) Actor Sam Waterston hosts the documentary series. (Background) Golden Women Vision is a URI member group in Uganda featured in this episode. It is comprised of women who were former sex slaves kidnapped during the conflict in Northern Uganda, and who are now providing psychological, social, and economic support to women returning to their communities. (Foreground) Actor Sam Waterston hosts the documentary series. Nyombi Tazan Jaffar is Co-Founder of AFFCAD, a URI member group featured in the Visionaries episode that improves the lives of youth and families in economically underserved communities in Uganda. Nyombi Tazan Jaffar is Co-Founder of AFFCAD, a URI member group featured in the Visionaries episode that improves the lives of youth and families in economically underserved communities in Uganda. San Francisco, CA, USA, Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- URI, United Religions Initiative, will be profiled in the upcoming season of The Visionaries, the award-winning public television series hosted by acclaimed actor Sam Waterston of Netflixs Grace and Frankie and formerly of HBOs The Newsroom and NBCs Law & Order. This season of The Visionaries began airing on PBS stations across the country in the late summer of 2020. PBS stations across the country will air the 12-part documentary series focused on nonprofit and public service organizations from around the world. Now in its 24th season, The Visionaries will highlight such topics as peacebuilding, and the role religion and belief systems play in conflict transformation by showing the work of URI. URI was selected from hundreds of applicants because of its dual strategy Cooperation Circles (member groups) which combine interreligious bridgebuilding with community-based actions that address the causes of conflict. The world is reeling from uncertainty and suffering that we have not experienced in recent generations, says The Rev. Victor H. Kazanjian, Jr., URI Executive Director. The URI community elevates hope as it takes on the challenge to heal wounds, bring diverse communities of people together for humanitarian action, and strengthen the foundations for lasting peace. Story continues I believe that the central idea of The Visionaries doing what you can about huge, intractable problems is an idea worth encouraging, says actor Sam Waterston, the host of the series. Jody Santos, Senior Producer at The Visionaries, says, COVID-19 has helped illustrate some of the stark inequalities our world faces and, more than ever, the critical role nonprofits play in addressing these inequities. Whether its fighting for clean water or access to healthcare, the organizations were profiling in Season 24 are working to build a stronger, more just society in which no one gets left behind. URIs episode The Power of Story is now airing on PBS stations nationwide. It will also be available online at uri.org/inspire, and it will premiere at URIs Circles of Light virtual gala on October 21, 2020. ### About URI URI (United Religions Initiative) is the largest grassroots interfaith peacebuilding network in the world. It cultivates peace and justice by engaging people to bridge religious and cultural differences and work together for the good of their communities. We implement our mission in 108 countries through local and global initiatives that build the capacity of over 1000 member groups and organizations, called Cooperation Circles, to engage in community action such as conflict resolution and reconciliation, environmental sustainability, education, womens and youth programs, and advocacy for human rights. URI holds the prestigious distinction of being a non-governmental organization (NGO) with consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and has long-standing partnerships with several other UN agencies. Learn more at URI.org. About The Visionaries The Visionaries documentary series, hosted by acclaimed actor Sam Waterston, highlights the rarely told stories of individuals and nonprofit organizations that are working to create positive social change throughout the world. Visionaries, winner of several Telly Awards and Emmy nominations for Best Documentary, has produced over 230 documentaries shot in over 65 countries and all over the US. Visionaries has aired on PBS stations throughout the nation for 23 seasons. For more information, please visit www.visionaries.org. Attachments CONTACT: Gaea Denker, Communications Manager URI +1 415 561 2300 communications@uri.org The mayor said he did not know how much the lawsuit cost the village, but that he believed the complaint put pressure on the governor to relax restrictions on businesses, which allowed Orland Park businesses to reopen. He said he believed the sales tax revenue flowing into village coffers would more than offset the legal expenses. Civic Chamber urges refining of bill on data of missing persons provided by operators RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 16:39 08/10/2020 MOSCOW, October 8 (RAPSI) Experts of Russias Civic Chamber have proposed to elaborate a bill on the data of missing people service operators are obliged to provide, the bodys press service informs on Thursday. A day earlier, the Chamber hosted public hearings on a draft federal law envisaging amendments to the legislation as to the data of missing persons operators are obliged to provide. Member of the Civic Chamber Commission for Youth Affairs, Promotion of Volunteering Activities, and Patriotic Upbringing, Chair of voluntary search-and-rescue team Lisa Alert Grigory Sergeyev urged refining of the law citing the Interior Ministry information that in 2018 and 2019 about 180,000 missing persons were registered in Russia. In her turn, member of Civic Chamber Commission on Development of Information Community, Mass Media, and Mass Communications Yekaterina Mizulina observed that no representatives of the agencies, whose work was to be directly regulated by the law, were present at the meeting; at the same time the problem of missing persons, especially as concerns children and disabled people, retains urgency. The bill needs to be elaborated in the course of a wide public discussion with participation of all stakeholders, Mizulina said. An important point in need of refining, the Chamber Commission member noted, is protection and prevention of possible leaks of personal data as citizens have fears about risks of abuse thereof. Another aspect needed to be reflected in the legislation is that not only use of mobile devices is needed in search for missing persons; it is important to educate people and explain to them certain basic rules, Mizulina said. People wandering in the wilderness need to be able to use compass, know what they need to have with them, like matches, warm clothes, and so on; the Emergency Ministry is to be involved in the issues of prevention. Yet another problem the participants focused on was that of the state of the equipment used by service providers and the means available for those conducting search and rescue operations. According to rescuer Alexander Mikhailov, outside of urban areas the geolocation accuracy fell dramatically; an answer, he believed, was coordination of search and rescue efforts with large service providers and further improvement of special equipment and techniques used for these purposes. The expert present at the meeting proposed that service providers included in their user agreements a point envisaging that the users give their permission as to use of their geolocation data in cases they went missing or were in an emergency situation, or in helpless state, or their lives and health were at risk. Representatives of service providers backed the initiative on condition that access to personal data of their users without a respective court ruling could be granted only for the purposes of search for missing persons. The new law needs to include all necessary components to facilitate search and rescue operations, Sergeyev said in conclusion. Camper fire claims the life of two people in Marshall County 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 Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris gestures toward Vice President Mike Pence during the debate in Salt Lake City on Wednesday. (AFP via Getty Images) So I was wrong. Up until the start of Wednesdays vice presidential debate, I had been worried that Kamala Harris would fall victim to Mike Pences Midwestern-nice shtick, honed during his time as governor of Indiana. That if the California senator came after him like the hard-charging former prosecutor that she is, Pence would just shake his head and smile that smarmy smile, making Harris look like an angry Black woman and himself the picture of calm and civility. But then it happened. With just one exchange, Harris out-Midwestern-niced the Midwestern nice master, exposing Pence for the overconfident, condescending, weak and scared white man that he really is. And even more importantly, she put a different kind of dent in the glass ceiling. Using a perfectly timed combination of pointed statements, glares, smiles and exasperated sighs, Harris reset the notion of what is acceptable behavior for Black women interacting with white men in power. Being assertive and uncompromising doesn't have to mean being "angry." "The truth and the fact is," Harris began, "Joe Biden has been very clear. He will not raise taxes on anybody who makes less than $400,000 a year. Pence interrupted her, one of 16 times, according to NBC News. He said hes going to repeal the Trump tax cut. "Mr. Vice President," Harris interjected, in a tone usually reserved for a mother addressing a talkative teenager, "I'm speaking. Her annoyed glare turned to a broad smile. I'm speaking. Pence: Whats important, as you said, is the truth. Harris laughed. Pence: Joe Biden has failed twice in the debate last week but he's going to repeal the Trump tax cut. That was tax cuts that gave the average working family $2,000 in a tax break every single year. Harris, nodding slowly and smiling : That is Pence: Senator Harris: That is Pence: ...that's the math. Harris: ...absolutely not true. That tax bill Story continues Pence: ...Is he only cutting, is he only going to repeal part of the Trump tax cuts? "If you dont mind letting me finish," Harris said, taking a deep breath and raising her hand, "we can then have a conversation. OK?" What is so remarkable about this exchange is that Harris was able to genuinely articulate the range of emotions that Black women experience every single day, but that we so often feel unable to express without being written off especially in workplaces. She was righteously angry. She was patronizing. She was kind. She was amused. She was annoyed. She was gracious. She was aggressive. That's hard. Of course, theres not a woman in this country who hasnt felt the need to modulate her behavior to get ahead in a mans world. Women of all races get unfairly punished for expressing such emotions, usually getting ignored and treated as lesser beings. Pence on Wednesday also spoke over the moderator, USA Today's Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page, who is white. And I suspect no woman has been mansplained as many times and by as many powerful men as Hillary Clinton. But intersectionality is a thing and so, as Black women, we face another level of scrutiny entirely. The tweets and comments from Republican politicians and right-wing media commenters about Harris being ill-tempered are proof enough of that. On Wednesday during the debate, she was attacked for her "face and head roll," her "sass," "pursing her lips and horrendous body language," being "angry and laughing," "acting like a crazy person" and having a "bitchy black female attitude." Then on Thursday, President Trump called her a "monster" as in "this monster that was on stage with Mike Pence." Harris was the first Black woman as well as the first South Asian woman to represent a major-party ticket in a general election debate. And yet, she is still a Black woman and Black women, by most metrics of American society, including pay and access to healthcare, rank at or near the bottom in terms of equity. And this is a big part of what makes the old angry Black woman trope so insidious and so often a self-fulfilling prophecy. The more we are denied opportunities because of years upon years of systemic racism, the angrier we get understandably so and the more opportunities are denied to us. What I saw on that debate stage in Salt Lake City on Wednesday was Harris beginning to break that cycle. The vice presidential debate might not have changed a lot of minds in terms of who to vote for, but it will go down in history as setting a new standard and example for Black women ascending the ranks of power. In the coming years, expect a lot more of us to, like Harris, refuse "to sit here and be lectured by the vice president" or anyone else. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The event, themed Fruits and food: New trade opportunities for Vietnam and India, was jointly held by the Vietnamese Embassy in India and the Indian Importers Chambers of Commerce and Industry (IICCI), gathering more than 100 importers, exporters and trade associations from the two countries. In her speech, Shubhra emphasised that in recent years, India has emerged as one of the largest trading partners in the world for fruits and farm produce. India is fully capable of providing many types of fruits and agricultural products that Vietnam is importing from across the world, such as pomegranates, grapes, wheat and cotton, which are also products of Indias strengths, she said. The official spoke highly of Vietnamese fruits and farm produce such as dragon fruit, coffee, cocoa and cashew nuts, noting that Vietnam and India both have great potential in the agricultural sector and that plenty of room remains to promote stronger and more effective bilateral cooperation in the field. Vietnam is striving to become an agro-processing centre by 2030, this goal can help the two countries to develop stronger and more meaningful cooperation, Shubhra said, emphasising that Vietnam and India have a lot to learn from each other and can support each other to create a two-way trade process that benefits both countries. Like the United States and China, India also wishes to become a leading trading partner of Vietnam, she affirmed. At the seminar, Vietnamese Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau introduced some of Vietnams typical agricultural products such as coffee, tea, cocoa, cashew nuts and coconut water. He asked the Indian side to create favourable conditions, remove tariff and non-tariff barriers, and simplify administrative procedures in order to facilitate the two countries access to each others markets. The ambassador urged India to open its market for a number of Vietnamese fruits such as longan, grapefruit, durian and rambutan. Chau hailed the forum as a good opportunity to connect Indian and Vietnamese associations and businesses in the area of fruit and food. Vietnamese exporters can directly contact Indian businesses or can approach Indian importers through IICCI, he said, affirming that the embassy will continue to optimise resources to facilitate trade and promptly remove difficulties for the two countries enterprises. The seminar is part of a series of events within the framework of the India-Vietnam Business Forum 2020, which is organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in India, in coordination with relevant Indian agencies, to promote bilateral trade relations and devise new directions to help Vietnamese and Indian businesses overcome difficulties, challenges and the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cookie Preferences Cookie List Cookie List A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website when visited by a user asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes: Strictly Necessary Cookies We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a sale of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more. Functional Cookies We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. 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Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 19:38:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LAGOS, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian government is working toward establishing special economic zones for solid minerals and creating a large number of employment opportunities, a top official with the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) said. The initiative is part of the government's promise to revamp the mining sector to enable it to contribute more to national income, said Adesoji Adesugba, Managing Director of NEPZA in a statement reaching Xinhua on Thursday. Plans were underway for the establishment of four special economic zones in Lagos, Gombe, Kwara and Kastina with special consideration for solid minerals, he said. These special economic zones when established will help to ignite activity in the sector and jobs will be created for youths while the government rakes in revenues from the exportation of valued added minerals, said Adesugba. "We must emulate countries like South Africa, Ghana and Kenya that have taken their mining sector to an enviable height with substantial (amount) of their revenues coming from the sector," he said. According to him, Nigeria can catch up with these countries faster if the special economic zone concept was activated for the sector. Adesugba said like the free trade zone scheme, the solid mineral zones had the capacity to provide the country with a long-term economic safety net. Enditem Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws 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 Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 14:01:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, clashed on Wednesday over White House's response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed over 210,000 Americans. "The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country," said Harris in response to the moderator's first question over the pandemic in the vice presidential debate at the University of Utah. The 55-year-old California senator, daughter of an Indian-born mother and Jamaican-born father, accused President Donald Trump of covering up the seriousness of the virus as far back as January. "Here's the thing. On Jan. 28th, the vice president and the president were informed of the nature of this pandemic," said Harris, looking directly at the camera. "They knew what was happening, and they didn't tell you," she said. "Can you imagine if you knew on Jan. 28th, as opposed to March 13th, what they knew, what you might have done to prepare? They knew and they covered it up." Pence, 61, head of the White House coronavirus task force, defended the Trump administration while acknowledging that "our nation's gone through a very challenging time this year." The former Indiana governor said that millions of lives could have been cost without the president's actions. "I want the American people to know, from the very first day, President Trump has put the health of America first," said Pence. Due to the coronavirus concerns, the two candidates were about 12 feet apart on the stage and were separated by two Plexiglas barriers. Before the debate kicked off, attendees received a stern warning about keeping their masks on during the proceedings. The first and only vice-presidential debate came as the White House is grappling with a COVID-19 outbreak that has infected a growing number of individuals, including Trump. Enditem Vice President Mike Pence listens as California Sen. Kamala Harris speaks during their debate at the University of Utah. (Morry Gash / Pool Photo) For 90 minutes, the understudies had their moment. Vice President Mike Pence and California Sen. Kamala Harris faced each other Wednesday night behind plexiglass partitions in a low-key debate that was peevish but generally polite. Their clash probably won't have much effect on who wins the White House a housefly may have stolen the occasion which made the session like every other vice presidential debate: a good deal of sound and fury, signifying little to nothing. Still, as political theater it had its moments. Here are several takeaways: Harris on the case For well over a year, Democrats have drooled at the prospect of California's former attorney general on a debate stage prosecuting her case against the Trump administration. She was tough and firm, but didnt exactly mop the floor with her Republican rival. Harris set an accusatory tone with her very first response, to a question about the COVID-19 pandemic. The American people have witnessed the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country, she asserted. She kept it up. Harris attacked Trump for paying little or no federal income taxes over the past decade. She claimed he set off a failed trade war with China and endangered the countrys safety with a feckless foreign policy. She said he pandered to white supremacists. Harris also assailed Pences honesty I think this is a debate thats supposed to be based on facts and truth and bristled when he interrupted her, using a stern voice to reclaim her time. Mr. Vice President," she chided, "I'm speaking." Much of the night the senator wore an expression of incredulity, as though she could barely restrain herself from laughing, or rolling her eyes at Pences solemn defense of the president. But for all of Harris's head-shaking and the occasional grimace, she never managed to knock Pence off his metronomic delivery of talking points and scripted attacks, which he delivered in a modulated tone that never rose to a level of Trumpian thunder. Story continues Ice not fire Critics and even some friends of the tempestuous president have suggested the need for a grownup in the White House, to present a more sober and serious face to the world. That task frequently falls to Pence, a stolid Midwesterner and devout Christian. On Wednesday night, the vice president wore his stoicism like a drab-colored cloak, seldom varying from the steady mien that has been his default countenance as a congressman, Indiana governor and unshakable Trump loyalist. But calm did not equal nice. He did a lot of man-splaining. He also accused Biden of stealing the administration's plan to fight the pandemic. It looks a little like plagiarism, which is something Joe Biden knows a little bit about, Pence said, a dig at the scandal that forced the former vice president to abandon his first White House bid in 1987. Pence just squinted and shook his head lightly when Harris charged that Trump had lost that trade war with China. Biden should talk, Pence said, he's been a cheerleader for communist China for decades. They want to bury our economy under a $2 trillion Green New Deal, he said, claiming the Democratic plan to fight climate change which Biden has kept at arm's length would cost hundreds of thousands of American jobs all across the heartland. COVID front and center Pences heaviest lift may have been persuading Americans that he and the rest of the Trump administration have done a bang-up job on COVID-19, even as the president could plausibly be labeled a super-spreader of the virus that has killed more than 210,000 Americans. Polls show most voters don't buy Trump's efforts to equate COVID-19 with the common flu or, for that matter, his overall handling of the pandemic. (Would all those health precautions protective shields, extra social distancing have been necessary on the debate stage if the disease wasn't so dangerous?) Pence, who heads the White House Coronavirus Task Force, faces his own credibility problem, having steadfastly refused to call out the president's repeated reckless claims. I want the American people to know from the very first day, President Trump has put the health of the American people first, Pence insisted Wednesday night. But Harris had none of it, saying Trump and Pence had learned of the danger of COVID-19 in January but chose not to share that information with the public until the president did so in March. They knew what was happening and they didnt tell you, Harris said. They knew and they covered it up. Pence vs. Biden One thing hasn't changed since the 2016 campaign: when Trump is front and center, he suffers politically. The challenge for Pence as it has been for Trump throughout the contest was getting voters to focus on something other than the country's struggle against a once-in-a-century pandemic and the resulting economic slide. That means, in political shorthand, turning the race from a referendum on Trump to a choice between the incumbent and Biden. Pence, who spent much of the evening on the defensive, did what he could. He painted a picture of economic ruin under a Democratic administration, saying Biden and Harris would make America a place of new taxes, new regulation and economic surrender to China. Ridiculous, Harris shot back: You and Donald Trump have reigned over a recession that is being compared to the Great Depression. Stealing the show Historians may little note nor long remember the events of Wednesday night, but at least a lot of people had a good laugh. A fly with a seemingly inordinate interest in Pence's snow-white coiffeur landed on the vice presidential scalp and lingered for what seemed a very long time. The fact the insect arrived during a discussion of systemic racism a notion Pence rejected was taken by some as commentary. I saw the fly basically going Say what? CBS News personality Gayle King tweeted. It was very interesting. The Twitter handle @MikePenceFly immediately emerged, with its proprietor claiming, "Everyone jealous because I got the best seat for the debate tonight. Democrats quickly chimed in and why not? immediately sought to monetize the moment. Biden tweeted out a picture of himself holding a fly swatter and a plea to his fellow Americans: Pitch in $5 to help this campaign fly. The Biden Victory Fund came up with its own model, a $10 number promoting "Truth Over Flies." Modeling better behavior There was no name-calling, no personal insults, no taunting or belittling of the moderator, Susan Page of USA Today. Neither Pence nor Harris shrank from attacking the other, or taking a shiv to the candidates atop their ticket. Pence repeatedly disregarded Pages instructions, his voice low but insistent, speaking over his rival and ignoring the questions he was asked. Still, the back-and-forth was relatively tame compared to last week's political hissy fit, er, presidential debate admittedly a bar so low it scarcely cleared the ground. There were even fleeting moments of grace. Pence told Harris its a privilege to be on the stage with you, thanked her and Biden for the good wishes they extended the president and First Lady Melania Trump after their COVID-19 diagnoses, and noted the historic nature of her candidacy, as the first Black woman and Asian-American to run on a major party ticket for vice president. If the debate Wednesday night didn't move the needle on the presidential race, at least it pointed toward a somewhat more civil way of campaigning for president. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. On the other hand, we'd be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Big Yellow Group Plc (LON:BYG). Do Insider Transactions Matter? Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock in the company. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market. We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. For example, a Harvard University study found that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year'. See our latest analysis for Big Yellow Group The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Big Yellow Group The Executive Chairman of the Board Nicholas Vetch made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for UK100k worth of shares at a price of UK9.83 each. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at around the current price of UK10.53. That means they have been optimistic about the company in the past, though they may have changed their mind. We do always like to see insider buying, but it is worth noting if those purchases were made at well below today's share price, as the discount to value may have narrowed with the rising price. Happily, the Big Yellow Group insiders decided to buy shares at close to current prices. Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 30.52k shares worth UK300k. But insiders sold 2.40k shares worth UK28k. Overall, Big Yellow Group insiders were net buyers during the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction! Story continues Big Yellow Group is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying. Insider Ownership of Big Yellow Group Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Big Yellow Group insiders own about UK111m worth of shares (which is 6.0% of the company). Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders. What Might The Insider Transactions At Big Yellow Group Tell Us? There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Judging from their transactions, and high insider ownership, Big Yellow Group insiders feel good about the company's future. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. For example - Big Yellow Group has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of. If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. After Binghamton Mayor Rich David announced Thursday that he tested positive for COVID-19, Auburn officials confirmed no one from the city attended a press conference with David in Syracuse Wednesday. David, who is president of the New York Conference of Mayors, held a press conference along with other mayors from across the state, including Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick. On Thursday, David revealed on Twitter that he has COVID-19. "I'm feeling fine and will be resting at home," he wrote. "I will follow the recommendations of healthcare providers on treatment and isolation, and I'm working with health department staff to ensure proper contact tracing." Walsh's office said he will quarantine as a precaution. His contact with David was "minimal." While quarantined, he will continue to fulfill his duties as mayor. Myrick tweeted that he is entering precautionary quarantine due to possible exposure to the virus. Auburn City Clerk Chuck Mason told The Citizen Thursday that no city officials attended the event in Syracuse. For New York Conference of Mayors events, usually either Mayor Michael Quill or Mason will attend. But Mason doesn't think they were invited to the news conference. David's positive test result adds to the growing number of confirmed cases in Binghamton and Broome County. There has been a cluster identified in Broome County. Binghamton University paused in-person classes for two weeks due to an uptick in cases involving students. "I continue to encourage all residents to follow state and federal safety guidelines, including wear masks in public, social distancing and frequent hand washing," David tweeted. Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. 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. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 8) President Rodrigo Duterte addressed the budget mess in a speech on Thursday night, repeatedly telling squabbling factions in Congress to resolve the issue immediately or else he would take action. The President began his nearly 14-minute speech by saying the meeting held prior was not planned, but given the impasse in Congress, he was "forced" to speak up. "Gusto ko lang sabihin [I want to say it] in one straight statement: Either you resolve the issue sa impasse ninyo diyan [about your impasse there] and pass the budget legally and constitutionally, 'pag hindi ninyo ginawa, ako ang gagawa para sa inyo [if you don't, I will do it for you]," he said. Duterte said he was not threatening anyone, but giving a reminder that the problem must be solved. However, the President did not give a timeline for the resolution. "Mga diktador lang gumagawa ng ganoon," he continued. "Gusto ko na ayusin ninyo [Only dictators do that. I want you to fix it], if and when I see that there will be a delay and it will result in the derailment of government service, I will, I said, solve the problem for you." Duterte also said he did not want to be part of the impasse in the House of Representatives. "Huwag na ninyo akong idamay sa away ninyo at tapos [Do not involve me in your quarrel] in the future people will be asking what happened to the administration of Duterte or the administration of Arroyo or of Aquino or of Ramos?" he said, adding future generations would not remember who was involved, but only that it happened during his time as President. What lawmakers should bear in mind, he said, is to think about those who are severely affected by the pandemic, work for them, and not put the 2021 budget at risk. "Huwag naman sana ninyong sobrahan ang laro sa Congress na iyong budget mismo ang nalagay sa alanganin," said the President. [Translation: Do not quarrel too much in Congress and then put the budget itself in peril.] In a statement posted on social media. House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said he assured the public and the President that the budget would be passed on time. "We welcome the President's stern warning to all parties to stop all the politicking as it could jeopardize the welfare of our fellow citizens at this critical time," Cayetano said. "In this, we are not evading any responsibility for our own actions, and would in fact like to sincerely apologize again to the President and the whole nation for adding anxiety to an already uncertain situation." Cayetano said a printed budget would be submitted to the Senate on Nov. 5 paving the way for a formal transmittal on Nov. 15, for Congress vote and approve on third reading. Earlier, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Palace would not call for a special session of Congress anytime soon despite an apparent delay in the 2021 budget approval process. He said the Palace rejected suggestions for the President to call for a special session days after House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano suspended plenary proceedings until Nov. 16, leaving the 4.5-trillion spending plan hanging amid a power struggle for the speakership. The House earlier planned to approve the measure on third reading before taking a break on Oct. 16. This comes in the middle of an unfolding drama between Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco and the fate of their term-sharing deal, which was supposed to kick in this month. Both were insisting to take the prime seat. Cayetano has so far managed to stay in power and has sacked committee chairpersons who have backed his rival. The House and Senate must pass their own versions of the spending plan and have them reconciled through a bicameral conference committee before it can be endorsed for Duterte's signing into law before Jan. 1, 2021. LOUISVILLE, Ky. The detective who obtained the search warrant bringing police to Breonna Taylor's door the night she died swore in an affidavit March 12 that he personally verified with a postal inspector that a suspected drug dealer was getting packages at her apartment. Detective Joshua Jaynes admitted something different May 19 while being questioned by Louisville Metro Police Department investigators looking into Taylor's fatal shooting by police March 13. Jaynes said he asked another officer, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, to verify with postal inspectors that Jamarcus Glover, Taylor's ex-boyfriend and the target of a narcotics investigation, was getting packages at her home. According to police records, there were no "suspicious" packages delivered. Joshua Jaynes "I could have worded a little bit differently in there," Jaynes told investigators about the affidavit he submitted declaring that he had verified the package information. "It was just, uh, in my opinion, that when I reach out to (Mattingly), the end-all-be-all was gonna be from a U.S. postal inspector office or the post office." The day after Jaynes gave his interview, Sgt. Jeremy Ruoff with the department's Public Integrity Unit filled out a form requesting records from Jaynes' computer. Jaynes has been on administrative reassignment since June. 'Very troubling': Questions Kentucky's attorney general isn't answering on the Breonna Taylor decision Public Integrity Unit investigators wrote in their summary July 2 that "wording on the affidavit is misleading" and, "given Jaynes' statement related to the information, should be reviewed for criminal actions." The interview and PIU summary is part of a massive investigative file in the Taylor case released Wednesday by Mayor Greg Fischer. Circuit Judge Mary Shaw, who signed Taylor's search warrant, said last week she was concerned that Jaynes had lied to obtain it after reports surfaced indicating LMPD officers had been told no questionable packages had been delivered to Taylor's apartment. Story continues Attorney General Daniel Cameron chose not to make the warrant process part of his case, saying he was deferring to the FBI. Release the transcripts: Ben Crump slams decision in Breonna Taylor case, calls out systemic racism in the legal system A spokesman said the FBI obtained the Public Integrity Unit file and is actively investigating all aspects of Taylors death. No one has been charged in Taylor's death. Cameron's office said the two officers who shot her, Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove, acted in self-defense when Taylor's boyfriend shot at them first. John Dolan, the attorney who represented Jaynes during his PIU interview, did not respond to an email sent Wednesday afternoon or a message left with his law office. No 'suspicious' deliveries Jaynes said May 19 in his interview with police investigators, one of dozens of documents in LMPD's investigation released publicly Wednesday, that he had asked Mattingly in January to check whether Taylor's former boyfriend, Glover, was receiving "any dope" or "suspicious" packages. Glover had been convicted of drug trafficking in Mississippi, and police noted that he had picked up a package at Taylor's apartment. Glover, who was arrested in a drug raid the same night Taylor was killed, denied Taylor had anything to do with the drug trade, though he was recorded from jail as saying Taylor handled "all my money." Jamarcus Glover No cash or drugs were found at Taylor's home after the shooting. Before the search warrant was carried out, Jaynes and Mattingly discussed whether Glover had drugs and money shipped to Taylor's home. Jaynes told investigators May 19 that Mattingly told him "nonchalantly" that Glover "just gets Amazon or mail packages there." 'Just an egregious act': Louisville SWAT team condemned raid on Breonna Taylor's home "I didn't go too in-depth about that 'cause again, what I saw on my own two eyes just reaffirmed that he was getting mail there," Jaynes said. "It's a reasonable assumption that if you see a guy go in the location, come out with a package, that he is getting mail there." In his sworn affidavit for the search warrant, Jaynes described seeing Glover pick up a package from Taylor's apartment Jan. 16 before Glover went to a "known drug house." Investigative records show police were told before the raid March 13 that no packages, "suspicious or otherwise," had been delivered to Glover at Taylor's residence for months before the warrant. Breonna Taylor case: Grand jury recordings detail conflicting accounts of fatal shooting An investigative report, previously reported by The Louisville Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, showed Mattingly asked police in Shively, Kentucky, to inquire with a U.S. postal inspector about Taylor's address and Glover. Detective Mike Kuzma told Mattingly and two other LMPD detectives there were no packages delivered there. Sgt. Chris Lane asked Jaynes if he intended to mislead the judge reviewing his warrant request. Louisville Metro Police Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly No, Jaynes said. "I didn't need that line in in there to to get my PC," or probable cause for the warrant, Jaynes replied. "I just, uh, basically, when I contacted (Mattingly), it just reaffirmed what I saw, the things that I've had." An investigative report summarizing the investigators' conversations with Shively police included information that the Postal Service no longer worked with LMPD because of an unspecified dispute a few years earlier. No further explanation is given. 'My heart was in my my throat' During the interview May 19, Jaynes said Taylor's apartment was, in his view, the "least likely" place for something to go wrong. Then he heard over the police radio an officer had been shot there. "When I heard that, you know, an officer got shot, I mean, my my heart was in my my throat at that time," Jaynes said. "These are our warrants. We all had a hand in this." Mattingly was first in the door when officers broke it down shortly before 1 a.m. Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired a shot. Mattingly was hit in the femoral artery and required surgery. Walker's shot touched off the volley of return fire that killed Taylor. Walker said he fired because he thought someone was breaking into their apartment. A shadowy figure, an 'ambush': Officers give jumbled accounts of night Breonna Taylor died Calling it "unnerving," Jaynes said he would have done "some of our investigation" differently but didn't elaborate and wasn't pressed by investigators to explain. In interviews after Taylor's death, members of LMPD's SWAT team said they were kept in the dark about the warrant for Taylor's home, despite briefings on other locations searched simultaneously, including where Glover was arrested. Lt. Dale Massey, a SWAT team commander, said he would have recommended officers not serve the warrant. He called serving multiple warrants at once inherently dangerous and "bad business." 'Man, I really can't remember' Jaynes told investigators that after the shooting, he followed up with Mattingly in early April to get more information on what he'd heard from the postal inspector. He's like, um, Man, I really can't remember, Jaynes said, adding that Mattingly gave him two Shively police contacts. Jaynes asked them to look into Glover receiving mail at Taylor's apartment. Kuzma, the Shively detective, told Jaynes: "No." "No, he can't do it?" an investigator asked Jaynes. Fact checking 8 myths: Was Breonna Taylor asleep when police shot her? Is there bodycam footage? "I'm assuming, no, he didn't get anything there," Jaynes said. "He didn't really elaborate." A day before Jaynes' interview, a Shively police sergeant told Louisville Public Integrity Unit investigators that it was odd that a month after Taylor was killed, Jaynes texted him to ask whether packages had been delivered to her boyfriend at her apartment. It looks like youre trying to cover your ass, is what it appears to me, Sgt. Tim Salyer told investigators May 18. On May 20, one day after Jaynes' interview with investigators, Sgt. Jeremy Ruoff with the Public Integrity Unit filled out a form requesting the city's information technology services team to begin "monitoring the computer usage" by Jaynes. "Employee is a PBI (Place-Based Investigations Squad) detective," Ruoff wrote. "I am seeking to obtain any and all documents that were drafted or received by the employee as well as all email correspondence between March 10, 2020, to May 18, 2020." Want more coverage? Sign up for This Is America, USA TODAY's newsletter on race and identity Follow Darcy Costello on Twitter: @dctello This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Breonna Taylor: What officer who got warrant told Louisville police Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 21:28:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JUBA, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- A military court in South Sudan on Thursday sentenced 24 soldiers to various jail terms over rape and looting. The soldiers from the South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF) received jail terms that range from two to 14 years after being found guilty of rape, looting and selling military equipment. The soldiers were also dismissed from the military. The soldiers were arrested four months ago following public outcry over increasing cases of sexual violence and looting in the Southern border town of Yei. Some 35 SSPDF soldiers appeared in a special military court in Yei last month, but 11 were set free due to lack of evidence. "What we have done today is an indication that the SSPDF do not condone crimes against civilians and the government," SSPDF Spokesperson Lul Ruai Koang told reporters after the court session. Presiding Judge Joseph James Mayen said the soldiers can appeal their sentences within 14 days. Human rights campaigners have on several occasions accused South Sudan's army of committing atrocities during the civil war that erupted in late 2013. Army chief Johnson Juma Okot said the SSPDF is committed to fighting criminality in the army. "Rape of girls and looting by soldiers is something we can never tolerate anymore as SSPDF. So, we want to get rid of any soldier involved in criminal activities," Okot said. Enditem Fintech Galaxy, the UAE-based fintech marketplace and innovation platform has launched the virtual hackathon for financial inclusion and regulatory collaboration in the Arab region, the Yalla Fintech 2020 Hackathon. Powered by Fintech Galaxys crowdsourcing and open API platform FinX22, the hackathon aims at developing digital solutions for speeding up the financial inclusion of local communities and businesses in the region. It will bring to life partnerships that address the urgent needs of communities in times of Covid-19 and beyond that propel business development and employment sustainably. The latest wave of technology in finance (fintech) such as Artificial intelligence, big data, cloud services and distributed ledgers is affecting economies at an unprecedented pace. The digital transformation in finance can stimulate competition and product variety for the benefit of communities and businesses in the region. This requires adequately designed applications, products, and services. Yalla Fintech 2020 the Arab Virtual Hackathon for Financial Inclusion empowers innovators, regulators, and other ecosystem partners from the Arab region to remotely collaborate and crowdsource solutions for key issues in financial inclusion in the digital space. Innovative startups and tech firms from the Arab region can now submit their Fintech proposals addressing an issue in three distinct categories on Fintech Galaxy platform: Digital Lending, Digital Financial Awareness, Electronic Know-Your-Customer for Simplified Customer and On-boarding (Challenge). Following the application deadline on November 19th, 2020, proposals meeting the requirements will be shortlisted and innovators invited to pitch their solutions to a panel of experts. Winning proposals in each category will be awarded a prize of EUR 5,000 to kickstart the scaling of the solution. The pandemic has shown that digital finance is critical in mitigating the economic impact of Covid-19 and maintaining social cohesion. Digital financial systems can help to strengthen the resilience of markets, communities, businesses, and governments against future shocks. GIZ is supporting the implementation of the Yalla Fintech 2020 Hackathon, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry BMZ, as contribution to the Financial Inclusion for the Arab Region together with its partners. The Hackathon helps bring innovation to life by fostering cross-border collobration between emerging and established entities. It will catalyse efforts in solving real problems of local communities and businesses in their sustainable development. Collaborative innovation is vital for constructive and transformative digital technology to add value for societies, markets and economies. Speaking about the launch of Yalla Fintech 2020, Mirna Sleiman, Founder & CEO, Fintech Galaxy, said: We are very excited to power this collaborative, forward-thinking initiative that aims to address the most prominent challenges in the industry. We are home grown with a track record and a global fintech network that enables us to bring together fintech startups, progressive banks, and ecosystem partners from the Arab markets. In doing so, we harness a common goal: embracing Fintech innovations for better livelihoods, new business opportunities, and growth in the Arab region. The Yalla Fintech 2020 Hackathon will be virtually hosted on Fintech Galaxys digital crowdsourcing and API platform, FinX22. The digital platform enables the screening, interaction and collaboration among innovators, financial institutions, and regulators, allowing them to crowdsource and prototype fintech solutions prospectively in Fintech Galaxys API Sandbox. It will promote partnerships and collaboration between innovative tech start-ups and firms, progressive banks, and regulators across the region. This is a novel digital setting for collaborative innovation that will allow involved stakeholders to join efforts while being physically distant. -- Tradearabia News Service Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 20:08:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Julia Pierrepont III LOS ANGELES, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- For some Americans, TikTok is a fun and engaging way to while away the time with their friends online, while for businesses it is a powerful economic engine. So Washington's proposed ban on the app has caused widespread concern in the United States. Photographer and filmmaker Miya Omori, a young student at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, is a new user who has already racked up 650,600 likes on TikTok and gained 28,400 followers so far. She told Xinhua she initially started using the app as a fun way of connecting with friends, but it soon turned into a good way to expand her brand and collaborate with other artists. "Banning the app would definitely hurt my business as well as others," Omori said. "The app is a great way to get started and keep ideas fresh, creative and trending. I think it's one of the most efficient ways to start and maintain a brand." A curator and director of a series of Sustainable Development Goal film festivals hosted around the world told Xinhua on condition of anonymity, "I think the U.S. has become increasingly xenophobic and that stokes irrational fears about China. I'm no expert on data-mining within these outlets, but it seems plausible that far less personal data is transferred through TikTok than Facebook for instance." The business insider contended that TikTok is being used as a scapegoat by the U.S. administration, "so when the American people protest, 'You're taking away our fun app,' Trump will say 'Don't get mad at me, blame China.'" On Aug. 6, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order banning U.S. transactions with TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance after 45 days, citing national security concerns. On Aug. 14, Trump signed another executive order that forces ByteDance to sell or spin off its U.S. TikTok business within 90 days. TikTok had filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging the legality and constitutionality of the Aug. 6 executive order, and arguing that there is no credible evidence to back up Trump's national security claims. On Sept. 27, Judge Carl Nichols of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia decided to halt the Trump administration's ban. However, the fate of the popular app is still pending and many business insiders said they had felt the negative impacts. Kenny Kubernick, published author, historian and musicologist living in Los Angeles, also stressed the economic hardship that will result from the ban. "(It) caused tremendous fear and hardship for many Americans and American-based businesses, not just Chinese businesses," Kubernick said. "Attacking Chinese social media platforms that enjoy wide support in the United States is entirely counter-productive to trade relations with China and is harmful to Americans," an international film producer, who chose to remain anonymous, told Xinhua. Andre Morgan, another successful Hollywood producer, said that using the national security card was "an act of desperation." Enditem PHOENIX More than seven years after she was kidnapped in Syria and later died, Arizona's Kayla Mueller became a centerpiece name in Wednesday night's vice presidential debate. Vice President Mike Pence, during a debate with Democratic nominee Sen. Kamala Harris, invoked the story of Mueller, who was tortured and raped while being held hostage by ISIS during the years of President Barack Obama's administration. Pence cited Mueller's parents' previous remarks supporting President Donald Trump. "Her family says with a heart that broke the heart of every American that if President Donald Trump had been president they believe Kayla would be alive today," Pence said. Earlier the same day, the Justice Department announced two British ISIS militants would face terrorism charges in the deaths of Mueller and other hostages. "We put all our faith in government, but the government let us down, Carl Mueller, Kayla's father, said at the announcement of the charges. Who was Kayla Mueller? Kayla Mueller, who grew up in Prescott and attended Northern Arizona University, later traveled the world working as a humanitarian and volunteer. She was working for an aid group in Turkey in August 2013 when she accompanied a friend who was crossing into Syria to work in the city of Aleppo. Inside Syria, where a years-long civil war was further clouded by the rising influence of ISIS, Mueller was soon captured. She was held for 18 months, and other captives later reported she endured rape and torture at the hands of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the former ISIS leader. American officials and Mueller's parents struggled to find and free her. In February 2015, her captors announced she had died. Al-Baghdadi was killed during a U.S.-led raid in Syria in 2019. Video: Pentagon releases details on al-Baghdadi raid Other ISIS captors had been taken into custody, including the two who were charged Wednesday. Other American victims of the ISIS captors were print and video journalist James Foley, who was covering the war in Syria when he was captured; Steven Sotloff, a journalist who was reporting on the refugee crisis in Syria; Peter Kassig, a humanitarian aid worker; and Mueller, also a humanitarian aid worker. Story continues ISIS released videos in 2014 showing the beheadings of Foley, Sotloff and Kassig. Mueller's death was announced on social media, though her parents have never recovered her remains. Why did Pence mention Mueller? In the years since the ordeal, Mueller's parents have become outspoken Trump supporters, and Carl Mueller has appeared on stage at Trump rallies in Arizona. Carl and Marsha Mueller of Prescott, Arizona, attended President Donald Trump's State of the Union speech on Feb. 4, 2020. Their daughter, Kayla, was captured by ISIS in Syria, then held captive, tortured and killed in 2015. On Wednesday night, during responses to a question about "the role of American leadership in 2020," Pence called out the case specifically and criticized the response of Obama and Joe Biden, who was vice president at the time. "Al-Baghdadi was responsible for the death of thousands," Pence said. "And notably with America's hearts today are with the family of Kayla Mueller her parents of which are here with us tonight in Salt Lake City. Today, two of the ISIS killers responsible for Kayla Mueller's murder were brought to justice in the United States." Axios reported Wednesday that Mueller's parents, Carl and Marsha Mueller, had joined the debate in Salt Lake City. Calls from The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network, to the Muellers went unanswered Wednesday. The reality is that when Joe Biden was vice president, we had an opportunity to save Kayla Mueller. It breaks my heart to reflect on it, but the military came into the Oval Office, presented a plan, they said they knew where Kayla was, Baghdadi had held her for 18 months, abused her mercilessly before they killed her," Pence said. Did Obama and Biden miss a chance to save Kayla Mueller? Pence suggested delays during the Obama administration were the reason Mueller hadn't been saved. "When Joe Biden was vice president, they hesitated for a month, and when armed forces finally went in, it was clear she had been moved two days earlier," he said. The accusation alludes to claims of delays that have long swirled around Mueller's captivity, though the Obama administration denied it stalled on a rescue. Obama himself may have been the original source of the idea that U.S. special forces, sent into Syria on a mission to save Mueller and other hostages, missed the group by "two days." Obama, speaking to Buzzfeed News in 2015, revealed that a raid earlier in Mueller's captivity had been intended to free her. "I deployed an entire operation at significant risk to rescue not only her but the other individuals who had been held, and probably missed them by a day or two, precisely because we had that commitment," he said at the time. The Washington Post reported that some people involved in the rescue mission later said there were delays in seeking the president's approval for the raid, costing crucial days that might have allowed the hostages to be found. Other officials denied there were delays, saying the mission was complex and in territory unfamiliar to U.S. forces, but that the president approved the plan swiftly once it was complete. More than the raid itself, families of hostages have objected to the Obama administration's handling of the captors' demands for ransom. When kidnappers demanded millions for Mueller's release, her parents said government officials cautiously warned them against paying a ransom themselves. U.S. policy forbade ransom, and parents of all the hostages were generally encouraged to keep the cases secret. Some later came to view that as a move to prevent them from freeing their children on their own while also silencing them from criticizing government efforts. In June 2015, after widespread criticism over the handling of the hostage cases, Obama unveiled new rules that would essentially allow families to offer private ransom payments, though the federal government would continue to refuse to make such payments. After Pence's remarks on Wednesday night, Harris responded: "First of all, to the Mueller family, I know about your daughter's case and I am so sorry. I am so sorry. What happened to her is awful and it should have never happened. And I know Joe feels the same way. And I know President Obama feels the same way." Republic reporters Josh Susong, Karina Bland and Perry Vandell contributed to this article. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kayla Mueller, hostage killed in Syria, discussed by Pence in debate Long Term Cycles Suggest Stock Price Reversion Pending & Gold Price About To Explode High RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: In the early 1900s, multiple events prompted a rising commodity price level and a decline in the Stocks to Commodities ratio. We expect commodities may begin to appreciate and where stock price levels may stall or decline. We also believe we are currently nearing the end of a rising cycle in both Stocks to Commodities and S&P500 to Earnings ratios, suggesting a downward/sideways trend in the US stock market will continue while commodities attempt to form a longer-term momentum base. The current 100-year Gold cycle suggests a Recovery phase is nearly complete and we should expect an Appreciation phase to begin within 2 years (or less). Historically, the Appreciation phase prompts a 200% to 300%+ rally in Gold prices. My research team and I have been pouring over the long-term data related to the current global markets and central bank efforts to support the global economy in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and we have some keen insights I would like to share with you. This research article highlights historical chart phases and trends and shows you how important it is to pay attention to cycles and Super-Cycle events as they continue to trend. US STOCKS TO COMMODITIES RATIO CHART PHASES In the early 1900s, multiple events prompted a rising commodity price level and a decline in the Stocks to Commodities ratio. The continued industrialization of the US as well as the demand for commodities as maker industries flourished in the early 1900s prompted a decline in the Stocks to Commodities ratio. The start of WWI (1914 1918) prompted a strong downtrend in the Stocks to Commodities ratio, eventually settling near a bottom in June 1920. Even the Spanish Flu added to the demand for commodities as consumers still needed basic commodities to survive. At that time in economic cycles, stock price levels began to collapse in comparison to commodity prices. We can clearly see the downtrend in the long-term Stocks to Commodities Ratio chart below. Pay very close attention to how the downtrend lasted from early 1907 to 1921. When the Stocks to Commodities ratio declines in value, we typically see a rising commodities price level compared to a declining or stalling stock price level. When the Stocks to Commodities ratio rises, this represents a declining commodities price level to a rising or stable stock price level. We are currently in an upward Stocks to Commodities ratio cycle which suggests commodities are decreasing in value while stocks are increasing in value. We believe this cycle may be nearing an end (within the next few years) where commodities may begin to appreciate and where stock price levels may stall or decline. Before you continue, be sure to opt-in to our free-market trend signals now so you dont miss our next special report! The COVID-19 virus event may present a similar downtrend in US stock price levels as we may have experienced with the Spanish Flu in 1918 pushing the current rising trend into a declining trend. The cycle of demand for commodities becomes dependent on consumer and industrial demand cycles. Currently, we believe the demand level for raw commodities is diminishing considerably as the global economy reverberates because of the COVID-19 shutdowns. S&P 500 PRICE TO EARNINGS RATIO CHART PHASES When we take a look at the longer-term S&P500 Price to Earnings Ratio chart below, we see similar trends that somewhat align with the Stocks to Commodities Ratio chart. The first downward Earnings trend peaked near 1896 and bottomed near 1919 (below). The second downward Earnings trend peaked near 1934 and bottomed near 1952. Using a simple by eye comparison across these two charts, it appears the peak in the Earnings charts originated about 2~3 years before the peak in the Stock to Commodities peaks and the bottoms in these cycles aligned within a 1~2 year range. Our research team believes we are currently nearing the end of a rising cycle in both Stocks to Commodities and S&P500 to Earnings ratios. We believe the final phase of this advance will look somewhat like 1933 to 1952 declining cycle where stock and commodities attempt to find a base level (we call fair market value). We believe the Excess Phase in the US stock market has contracted over the past 25+ days as an exhaustion peak. If this trend continues, we believe a downward/sideways trend in the US stock market will continue while commodities attempt to form a longer-term momentum base (possibly lasting 24+ months) before bottoming. 100 YEAR GOLD CHART PHASES The 100 year Gold chart below highlights the unique phases showing how Gold reacts to the broader market cycle phases weve highlighted above. Gold, being a safe-haven commodity, reacts in similar cycle phases (excluding the 1971 Exit from the Gold Standard phase). You can clearly see the three phases weve highlighted in the chart below roughly align with the cycle phases and trends in the Commodities Ratio charts seen above. The primary difference is that Gold enters a Recovery Phase early in the organic economic growth phases of the Commodity cycles and is somewhat immune to the S&P Price to Earnings phases. Notice how Gold began Recovery Phases in 1922, 1971 and 2004? Now, take a look at the Stocks to Commodities Ratio bottoms in the cycles: 1920, 1950, 1982, and 2009. As you can see, there is alignment with the exception of the 1950 and 1982 cycle bottoms. This can easily be explained as a process of the institution of the US Federal Reserve (1933) and the removal of the Gold Standard (1971). When we discount these dramatic alterations to the organic cycles, we can see that Gold reacted to the ending of the Gold Standard with a huge Recovery and Appreciation phase. The current cycle suggests a Recovery phase is nearly complete and we should expect an Appreciation phase to begin within 2 years (or less). Historically, the Appreciation phase prompts a 200% to 300%+ rally in Gold prices this time the rally may be even greater. We are just waiting for confirmation that the upward cycle in Stocks to Commodities and S&P Price to Earnings ratios have peaked and begin to move lower. That cycle confirmation will suggest the Recovery phase in Gold has ended and the Appreciation phase has begun. Additionally, once Gold rallies above $2,200 (breaking recent highs), this could also be considered a confirmation of the new Appreciation Phase in Gold. This article illustrates that longer-term economic cycles play a very big role in how we, as technical traders, attempt to identify opportunities and trends. The theory that Technical Analysis is the study of indicators and price theory fails to address the fact that many aspects of cycles, trends, appreciation/depreciation, theory, indicators, and other factors go into our analysis. We use Technical analysis as a final confirmation tool and as a primary source for our research, but we rely on cycles, historical data, nuanced patterns and so much more to try to help traders find and execute better trades. Traders should be ready for wild volatility over the next 2~3+ years and a very strong potential that commodity prices (particularly Gold and Silver) will transition into the Appreciation Phase fairly soon. I have been following Gold and Silver for years now and have many of the Gold industry giants following my precious metals research. I walk through the precious metals, miners, and junior miners charts several times a week in my pre-market video report delivered every morning to Technical Trader subscribers. 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 shown you what to expect from the markets in the future. Do you want to 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 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. Darrell Scott made the offensive comment while appearing as a guest on Laura Ingrahams Fox News show The Ingraham Angle. (Fox News) An evangelical pastor called Kamala Harris Hillary Clinton in blackface in a shocking exchange following the vice presidential debate with Mike Pence. Darrell Scott made the offensive comment while appearing as a guest on Laura Ingrahams Fox News show The Ingraham Angle on Wednesday. Mr Scott and Scott Bolden, former chair of the DC Democratic State Committee, were discussing the Democratic vice-presidential nominees comments on Black Lives Matter protests which occurred across the US. I thought Kamala Harris was Hillary Clinton in blackface tonight. Thats what I thought, the pastor said during the heated exchange. And you know what was trending on Twitter? Black Hillary, continued Mr Scott, co-founder of the New Spirit Revival Center in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and ardent Trump supporter. Ms Ingraham appeared momentarily taken aback by the comments. Is that right? Wow, the host said. I missed that. Mr Bolden, who seemed dazed by the remarks said: Im not sure what that means. The pastor made similarly offensive comments on his Twitter throughout the debate in attempts to tear down the California senator, also calling her phony and accusing her of hissy fitting. He also seemingly stood by the comments he made during the interview, retweeting a clip of his remarks. Sen Harris became the first African American woman and woman of South Asian descent in US history to take the debate stage on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City. Read more Trump says hes immune to Covid and rejects virtual debate - live Trump calls Kamala Harris 'monster' and 'communist' in Fox tirade The question Kamala Harris really should have answered The VP debate showed us who Mike Pence and Kamala Harris really are Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 8) The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation said 43 senior officers have tendered their courtesy resignation and retirement as of Thursday in line with an order to resign to clean up the agency. The embattled corporation said in a statement that 27 people submitted courtesy resignations 21 from its central office and six from regional branches while 16 retired, including ten from the central office and six from the regions. This was in response to PhilHealth President and CEO Dante Gierran's call for officers in Salary Grade (SG) 26 or those who receive at least 109,593 per month or higher to file a courtesy resignation, the agency said. This also comes shortly after the National Bureau of Investigation filed a graft complaint against former PhilHealth President Ricardo Morales and eight other officials over questionable cash advances released this year. Congress and the Department of Justice in separate probes found that PhilHealth gave P14 billion to hospitals affected by the pandemic through a prepayment scheme before the circular for its implementation was effective and without taxes withheld. Other officers were also in hot water for proposing to procure overpriced IT equipment. 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. 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. Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws 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 Can Forgiveness Bring Healing During Civil Unrest? Forgiveness must be part of the process if we hope to achieve any level of healing in rebuilding and reconstructing our country. The process of forgiveness has played a positive role in history when it comes to conflict resolution and we are currently in a world of conflict more than ever. Living with COVID-19, the downfall of our economy, civil unrest, and race relations at an all time low, tempers and temperatures are running high. When the President of the United States can stand on the global stage and tell White extremists to, stand back and stand by, instead of outright condemning their actions, this pushes America further back. Generations of sacrifice, hard work, and progress continues to unravel. American Novelist, James Baldwin said, When any white man in the world picks up a gun and says; give me liberty or give me death, the entire white world applauds. But when a Black man says exactly the same thing, word for word, he is judged as a criminal, (by whites) and treated as one. And everything possible is done to make an example of him to ensure there would not be any more like him. He went on to also say, To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time. We are a conscious people so you can imagine the rage that lays right under the surface constantly. We must figure out how we can achieve justice, peace, and healing. Forgiveness will have to be part of the answer. So, what are we going to do about it? How do we extend forgiveness when it is something that we either do not understand or do not want to extend to someone who has offended or hurt us? Where do we begin when we feel that justice has not been served? For instance, the pain we still feel behind the lack of justice for Breonna Taylor. Forgiveness has power and when we learn to forgive others, and sometimes even ourselves, the healing process can help start to heal open wounds and create a new beginning. If we want hope for future generations, we must figure out how to rebuild and start anew. Sometimes we may have to learn to release and let some things go. We may never receive complete restitution on some matters, so it is important for us to learn how to keep going and growing through the process. Sometimes the justice we seek will only be realized by future generations because of our sacrifice and the power of the vote. ADVERTISEMENT There are those that have shown us the healing power of forgiveness towards individuals, as well as in the rebuilding of a nation. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a leading expert on forgiveness, shares in his book, No Future Without Forgiveness, about South Africas Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The Commission exposed the atrocities that were committed and the process they had to go through to get to the other side. Forgiveness is hard work, but very necessary for the healing process for civil unrest. Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter, Mpho Tutu, together wrote, The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World. They share four steps that are critical; (1) telling the story; (2) naming the hurt; (3) granting forgiveness; and (4) renewing or releasing the relationship. We tend to stay in a state of unrest when we do not see a path for hope or resolve. Forgiveness can bring healing during our times of civil unrest. Maybe we need to think about establishing a Commission? Hate cannot survive where love and forgiveness abide, but we have to begin the process. Healing Without Hate: Its a choice. Its a lifestyle. Pass it on! Visit www.WendyGladney.com and www.forgivingforliving.org to learn more. Wendy is an international coach, consultant, trainer, author and speaker. She can also be found live on Instagram @Wendygladney on Wednesdays at 12 noon PST. iClean mini Creates SAO Solution to Safely Disinfect and Kill the Coronavirus on Hard Surfaces Tersano Introduces the iClean mini The new iClean mini from Tersano employs the companys patented Stabilized Aqueous Ozone SAO technology to deliver a new level of cleaning, disinfecting and deodorizing for home and personal use. Consumers can now safely and effectively clean and disinfect their home and personal spaces without the fear of chemical contamination. The new iClean mini from Tersano employs the companys patented Stabilized Aqueous Ozone SAO technology to deliver a new level of cleaning, disinfecting and deodorizing for home and personal use. Consumers can now safely and effectively clean and disinfect their home and personal spaces without the fear of chemical contamination. iClean mini The new iClean mini is a sleek, hand-held device that delivers non-toxic cleaning and disinfecting for your home and personal spaces. The new iClean mini is a sleek, hand-held device that delivers non-toxic cleaning and disinfecting for your home and personal spaces. TORONTO, Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tersano announces the launch of the iClean mini, a sleek, hand-held home device that employs the companys patented Stabilized Aqueous Ozone SAO technology to deliver a new level of cleaning, disinfecting and deodorizing for home and personal use. Consumers can now safely and effectively clean and disinfect their home and personal spaces without the fear of chemical contamination. The iClean mini creates Tersanos proprietary SAO solution, which is compliant with the requirement established in the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), to eliminate SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that causes COVID-19. FIFRA is managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The iClean mini removes dirt, grime, stains, odors, mold, mildew, and pesticides from virtually any hard surface. In addition to killing the pathogen that causes the coronavirus, SAO also kills bacteria and germs such as Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli. How it works: The base of the iClean mini holds regular tap water, which travels up through a pump to a diamond electrode core that adds an extra oxygen atom and turns the water into stabilized aqueous ozone. Fully charged in just 60 minutes, the iClean mini delivers hundreds of sprays with no harmful residue or offensive odor. The iClean mini has an intelligent CPU and circuit design to ensure that the system is operating efficiently with an indicator light to let you know when the ozone is being produced or if your water tank or battery is running low. Each iClean mini comes with one SAO Cartridge, which filters out minerals, such as iron, calcium and magnesium from tap water. These minerals get in the way of a super sanitized home. The Cartridge should be replaced every three months. Using the iClean mini helps reduce plastic waste and delivers toxic-free cleaning anywhere, anytime. Story continues Numerous top regulatory bodies, such as the FDA, EPA and USDA, independent test laboratories, and sustainability organizations have certified SAO as a safe, sustainable alternative to traditional chemical cleaners and sanitizers. Traditional home cleaning supplies often contain toxic chemicals, like ammonia and bleach. These products can cause headaches, irritate our eyes and throat and often emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are gases like benzene and formaldehyde, noted Steve Hengsperger, Founder and CEO of Tersano. The iClean mini takes a different approach. Our advanced SAO technology turns tap water into a highly-effective, non-toxic cleaner and disinfectant that is 100% safe and effective. The iClean mini retails for $199 and replacement four-pack SAO cartridges retails for $39. Both can be purchased online at www.tersano.com. About Tersano, Inc. Tersano Inc. is a privately held innovations company based in Windsor, Ontario with offices and distribution centers throughout Canada, USA, Latin America, APAC and EMEA. Established in 2002, Tersano develops and manufactures devices that produce Stabilized Aqueous Ozone (SAO) for personal and professional use. Serving clients in many industries such as healthcare, education, manufacturing, and hospitality, Tersano is committed to advancing environmentally safe and healthy cleaning and sanitizing technologies. Contacts: Ellen LaNicca, ellen@elfpragency.com; Pam Golden, pam@glapr.com Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0f1c10ec-27ac-4fd9-830d-5e4775b715cd https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4b2228b1-8694-43cf-b58c-135db1addc44 Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (19) LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's parliament will vote on Tuesday on the imposition of a 10 p.m. closing time for English pubs, bars and restaurants, a measure the government says is necessary to tackle COVID-19, but which the hospitality industry says is destroying businesses. The early closing time was introduced across England, Wales and Scotland last month, and has swiftly become a focus for anger in Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party, with many saying there is no evidence for a measure that could end up forcing local pubs and restaurants out of business. Scotland's government on Wednesday went further, including ordering pubs in Glasgow and Edinburgh to close for 16 days. More restrictions are also being considered for parts of Northern England, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said on Thursday. But while Johnson might see some of his lawmakers vote against the measure already in place, a government defeat looked less likely after opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer said his party would not vote against the rule on closing early. Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the House of Commons lower house of parliament, said the debate would come on Tuesday, setting the scene for a possible showdown between government and so-called rebels in the governing party. "The government took the decision to move the debate to the floor of the house in recognition of the level of demand for the debate, so we are being responsive to what is being asked for and ensuring proper scrutiny," Rees-Mogg told parliament. Johnson has been criticised for his response to the coronavirus crisis, which is spiking again across much of the country and especially in northern England. He has said September's restrictions were necessary to slow the spread. But the main opposition Labour Party and some members of his party say those measures have done little to curb the increase in cases, calling on the government to provide parliament with the scientific and medical thinking behind them. Story continues Starmer said there was "growing concern about the 10 p.m. curfew" and that the measure needed to be reformed. "The problem with the vote next week is it's an up-down, take it or leave it vote, and therefore if you vote down the current arrangements, there won't be any restrictions in place," he said. "That's not what we want, so we won't be voting down the restrictions in place." (Reporting by Elizabeth Piper, editing by William James) Donald Trump U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office Oliver Contreras-Pool/Getty Images President Donald Trump on Wednesday apparently ended his COVID-19 quarantine and returned to work at the Oval Office. White House deputy communications director Brian Morgenstern told reporters that Trump was being briefed on the status of coronavirus stimulus negotiations and Hurricane Delta. Trump returning to the Oval Office was first noticed by reporters, who spotted a Marine outside the door, which is seen as a sign Trump is in the office. Related Articles Conway reacts to shooting near White House: People "starting to lose it" over Trumps re-election Trump threatens to veto GOP relief bill unless it includes payroll tax cut that favors the rich President Trump, diagnosed with COVID, has moved from the residence to the Oval Office, per White House spox, who says he's being briefed on stimulus talks and the hurricane --> https://t.co/w0g3u40XEn Hallie Jackson (@HallieJackson) October 7, 2020 ? "Mark Meadows is with Trump in Oval, and Dan Scavino, per White House. The president came in from the colonnade, which kept him away from West Wing hallways where staff still working," Bloomberg News' Jennifer Jacobs reported. "Trump has gone to the Oval Office, over the objections of aides who wanted him to remain isolated in the residence while recovering from the coronavirus," New York Times chief White House correspondent Peter Baker reported. Related Articles White House cafeterias shut down after staffer diagnosed with COVID-19 Trump changed tune about pandemic as aides said our people in red states are getting sick: report Trump suspended stimulus talks on Tuesday, but then restarted talks with public negotiations on his Twitter account late in the evening. Meanwhile, Hurricane Delta is expected to strike Louisiana on Friday. Donald Trump returns to White House after being treated for Covid-19 (Getty Images) As a US president currently fighting an election during a pandemic that has killed 211,000 citizens and caused an economic meltdown of unprecedented magnitude, one might assume Donald Trump would be looking to improve his own coronavirus record ahead of polling day. Instead, in the early hours of Thursday morning, the leader of the free world took to social media to share a post criticising the response of Wales. Now, political leaders and campaigners in the land of the dragon have hit back. Mr Trump retweeted Fox News presenter Laura Ingraham, who, alongside a story about a potential winter of rolling lockdowns initiated by Cardiff, had written: Your future under Biden. But people here were quick to point out that, actually, such a future may not be considered such a bad thing by many Americans. Youd probably be looking at a lot less people dying, wouldnt you? said Sion Jobbins, co-founder of Yes Cymru, an independence campaign group. Like quite a lot of people Im actually surprised that Donald Trump has even heard of Wales and Id be even more surprised if he has a detailed grasp of the situation here. Im not convinced hes got a detailed grasp of it in America, to be honest." For comparison, the US has recorded 645.06 coronavirus deaths per 1 million people. Wales where there are some 16 local lockdowns currently in place has a corresponding rate of just 520.8. A total of 1,630 people have died here after being diagnosed with the virus. If Donald Trump and Fox News are now criticising Wales then clearly Wales is doing something right, Adam Price, leader of Plaid Cymru, told The Independent. No country in the world is going to take public health lessons from President Trump and certainly not Wales, as the birthplace of the NHS which gave the world the model of a national health service. He suggested that given Joe Biden was born in Scranton the Pennsylvania capital with a long Welsh history many in the country were rooting for him to win the election. Story continues I look forward to welcoming Joe Biden to Wales as the next president of the United States, he added. Ms Ingrahams tweet was initially posted after Frank Atherton, Wales chief medical officer, said earlier this week that the country could be "going in and out of those restrictions over the next few months". Read more A disaster: anger and gallows humour in UKs new coronavirus capital However, Naths cavalcade had passed by then. Bhopal: Former chief minister Kamal Naths cavalcade was on Wednesday stoned by some miscreants when he was leading an election rally in Annupur in Madhya Pradesh. The incident happened when the youth wing of BJP was staging black flag demonstration to protest Naths visit to Annupur Assembly constituency which is going to by-elections along with 27 other Assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh on November 3. The demonstrators tried to block Naths cavalcade while holding black flag demonstration and shouting slogans against him. However, the security personnel deployed in the area chased them away to clear the way for Naths convoy to proceed to the venue of the public meeting in the town. Some youths who were part of the demonstration then suddenly started pelting stones at Naths vehicle. However, Naths cavalcade had passed by then. A video catching the violent demonstration went viral immediately after the incident. Congress condemned the attack on Naths vehicle, saying that BJP was resorting to violence against Congress leaders out of frustration. The attack on Naths vehicle is a clear demonstration of BJPs frustration over growing popularity of Congress. In democracy, there is no place for violence, senior Congress leader and former Union minister Arun Yadav said. He said Nath enjoyed Z plus security and slammed the Shivraj government for security lapses leading to attack on his vehicle. BJP however denied involvement of party workers in the incident. Our party never believed in violence. BJP has no hand in the attack on Naths vehicle. We condemn violence against any leader, BJP spokesman here Rajneesh Agrawal said. He alleged that the attack was stage managed by Congress to trigger unrest in the state in the run up to the November 3 by-elections in 28 Assembly constituencies. We demand a probe into the incident to unearth the conspiracy, Agrawal said. Louise Gluck / EPA-Yonhap The Nobel Prize for literature was awarded to American poet Louise Gluck on Thursday "for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal." The prize was announced in Stockholm by Mats Malm, the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy. New York-born Gluck, 77, who is a professor of English at Yale University, made her debut in 1968 with "Firstborn," and "was soon acclaimed as one of the most prominent poets in American contemporary literature," the Nobel Academy said. Her poetry is "characterized by a striving for clarity," often focusing on childhood and family life, and close relationship with parents and siblings, it said. It noted her 2006 collection "Averno," calling it "masterly" and "a visionary interpretation of the myth of Persephone's descent into hell in the captivity of Hades, the god of death." The award, which includes a 10 million kronor (more than $1.1 million) prize, comes after several years of controversy and scandal for the world's pre-eminent literary accolade. In 2018 the award was postponed after sex abuse allegations rocked the Swedish Academy, the secretive body that chooses the winners, and sparked a mass exodus of members. After the academy revamped itself in a bid to regain the trust of the Nobel Foundation, two laureates were named last year, with the 2018 prize going to Poland's Olga Tokarczuk and the 2019 award to Austria's Peter Handke. Handke's prize caused a storm of protest: a strong supporter of the Serbs during the 1990s Balkan wars, he has been called an apologist for Serbian war crimes. Several countries including Albania, Bosnia and Turkey boycotted the Nobel awards ceremony in protest, and a member of the committee that nominates candidates for the literature prize resigned. On Monday, the Nobel Committee awarded the prize for physiology and medicine for discovering the liver-ravaging hepatitis C virus. Tuesday's prize for physics honored breakthroughs in understanding the mysteries of cosmic black holes, and the chemistry prize on Wednesday went to scientists behind a powerful gene-editing tool. Still to come are prizes are for outstanding work in the fields of peace and economics. (AP) 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 A few weeks ago, my close friend and candidate for Insurance Commissioner, Wayne Goodwin, lost his wife after an 11-year battle with cancer. Shortly after her passing, Wayne received a phone call from former Vice President Joe Biden who expressed his condolences. In the midst of a presidential election campaign, with all the stresses and time-devouring activities a campaign inevitably requires, Joe Biden took time out of his incredibly hectic day to console a fellow American as he struggled with the death of the love of his life. Whats more, this isnt something Joe Biden does just for fellow politicians; he apparently has done and continues to do this for many people he has met in various circumstances, but especially people whose lives, like his, have been cruelly touched by cancer and for youngsters struggling as he did with stuttering. This is just who Joe Biden is. He is a man well acquainted with grief, a man whose personal empathy and generous compassion are at the very core of his being. Joe Bidens not a perfect man, but he is a decent man, a caring man, and a man of character. He is a man who can identify with the problems and difficulties Americans are going through in these uncertain times. 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. Watch: Jacob Rees-Mogg says MPs who want to stay home during pandemic are 'wet' Jacob Rees-Mogg dismisses calls for MPs to return to remote voting MPs raise concerns about increasing spread of COVID-19 by attending parliament when they could instead vote at home But Commons leader Rees-Mogg says these concerns are wet when people such as nurses and supermarket workers have been going to work throughout pandemic Visit the Yahoo homepage for more stories Jacob Rees-Mogg has said MPs who want to stay at home during the coronavirus pandemic are wet. It comes amid calls for a return to remote voting in the House of Commons, with COVID-19 infections quickly increasing across the country. Rees-Mogg dismissed these calls, pointing to how people such as nurses and supermarket workers have been going to work throughout the pandemic. Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday, SNP MP Tommy Sheppard pointed out many MPs live in areas which may soon be under intensified restrictions which prevent all but essential travel. 'We need to turn up to do our job,' said Jacob Rees-Mogg in the House of Commons on Thursday. (Parliamentlive.tv) He said these MPs would still be able to travel to parliament under this essential travel exemption but that this would be perverse if we have the ability to participate remotely. Rees-Mogg, the leader of the House of Commons, rejected this. We need to turn up to do our job. We are an essential service. And I think its pretty wet, quite frankly, that we expect doctors, nurses, police officers, people working in supermarkets, we expect the cleaners in the House of Commons to come round and do their job and we say weve got to stay at home because were not willing to come. We have a duty to be here, our public duty thats why we were elected. We were elected to be an assembly of the nation, not people sitting remotely, throwing stones. Labour MP Ruth Cadbury also raised concerns, telling Rees-Mogg: On days when there are votes, the 500-plus of us who are not self-isolating for health or public health reasons are required to be here to vote, crowding into corridors and halls of this building, putting ourselves and staff at additional risk particularly as so many members dont seem to respect the governments rule on spacing. Story continues She asked what level of infection it would take for the government to allow MPs to return to online voting. However, Rees-Mogg again dismissed this as he repeated what he had said to Sheppard: The idea that democracy should be suspended when doctors are at work, nurses are at work, supermarket workers are at work... we are not some priestly cast above the rest of the nation. Read more: 'He needs to be more than just competent': What Labour MPs think of Keir Starmer so far In late April, at the peak of the pandemic, hybrid proceedings were introduced to the House of Commons, allowing online voting. This was dropped by Rees-Mogg at the beginning of June, though some MPs with certain health conditions are still allowed to vote by proxy. Watch: People in England face 10,000 fines for not self-isolating Coronavirus: what happened today Click here to sign up to the latest news and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter For months, several central New York residents and families wanted answers about the status of their COVID-19 relief checks. With the help of U.S. Rep. John Katko's office, they received the payments. Katko, R-Camillus, announced Wednesday that more than $150,000 in overdue economic impact payments and tax returns have been delivered to residents of the 24th Congressional District. Katko's office assisted constituents who either didn't receive a stimulus check or a 2019 tax return. A COVID-19 relief package approved in late March included $1,200 one-time payments for individuals making up to $75,000 annually and $2,400 checks for families with yearly incomes of up to $150,000. While most Americans received their payments within weeks of President Donald Trump signing the aid bill, others faced delays in getting their checks. Katko held a telephone town hall and virtual workshop on the economic impact payments with Internal Revenue Service representatives. During those events, he heard from constituents who struggled to get answers about the status of their check. "The CARES Act authorized direct relief to help working families weather the economic impact of this ongoing crisis," Katko said. "Unfortunately, I've continued to hear from those who didn't receive their payment or 2019 tax returns. I have worked on behalf of these central New Yorkers to help deliver the relief they are due." Katko, who is running for reelection this year, also highlighted his advocacy for other funding in the COVID-19 relief package, including $165.7 million for the district. That total includes $61.4 million for the region's hospitals. In central New York, more than 9,100 Paycheck Protection Program loans have been approved for small businesses. The Paycheck Protection Program was created to help businesses affected by the pandemic. Katko advised anyone who hasn't received their COVID-19 economic impact payment or other relief to contact his office at (315) 423-5657. "We will be more than happy to assist," he added. Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. 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. Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter has cleared up misconceptions around the price of electricity in South Africa. Speaking during his keynote address at the Joburg Indaba, De Ruyter addressed a popular narrative regarding the electricity price in South Africa. Many South Africans complain that they pay too much for electricity, but it is more likely that the opposite is true, according to a number of studies cited by the state power utilitys CEO. In terms of electricity pricing, South Africas commercial and industrial electricity tariffs are competitive by international standards, De Ruyter said. In a study undertaken by Statista in 2018, results indicated that Eskoms and even South African (including municipalities) average electricity prices are relatively low, when compared to other countries in the world. In a recent 2020 report by NOVA Economics, a comparison across 100 countries showed that South Africas average price ranked competitively across all three of the main customer segments industrial, commercial, and residential, he said. De Ruyter said South African residential consumers pay an average of 133.67 c/kWh, which is a lower tariff than more than half of the countries surveyed in these studies. South Africas average commercial tariff of 122,96 c/kWh is cheaper than 71 of the 100 countries surveyed, while industrial tariffs are among the lowest 20 countries surveyed, at 76,32 c/kWh. Cost-reflective electricity prices South Africas electricity prices are the third-lowest in sub-Saharan Africa, De Ruyter said, which does not reflect the cost of production. Compared to other utilities in the sub-Saharan region, Eskoms electricity price is relatively low, he said. The current average selling price is R1,02/kWh, and this is below the levels required to be cost-reflective. The average price of electricity is approximately 133 c/kWh for all customers in 2020, while Eskoms average is only 102 c/kWh. This represents a R67-billion revenue shortfall for the 2020 financial year and over R300 billion in revenue shortfall over the last 10 years, De Ruyter said. This situation does not augur well for the sustainability of Eskom. He also noted that backup power is more expensive to produce than grid power and that the cost of unreliable energy is much higher than appropriately priced electricity. Through our collective abilities, we remain resolute to achieve operational and financial sustainability to regain Eskoms reputation as South Africas trusted and credible electricity supplier, De Ruyter said. Price increases on the cards De Ruyters statements follow after Nersa was granted leave to appeal the decision of the High Court regarding the timing of Eskoms recuperation of R69 billion in misappropriated equity. Nersa previously submitted that it had wrongfully deducted the amount as revenue as part of its multi-year price determination (MYPD) methodology. Eskom wanted to recover part of this money, in addition to other costs, through electricity price increases of 16.6% and 16.7% in 2020/21 and 2021/22. Nersa, however, only granted Eskom price increases of 9.41% and 8.10% in 2020/21 and 2021/22 respectively. This latest decision means that the period of three years over which Eskom will be allowed to recover the money could be scrutinised. Should the court decide that the money can be recouped over a longer period, it could mean that annual electricity price increases would be lower than anticipated. Either way, price increases are coming although you may still end up paying less than many other countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Now read: Court case over Eskom price increases heats up Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain German health experts warned on Thursday that the coronavirus could "spread uncontrollably" in the country, as infections surged across Europe and governments prepared to renew some lockdown measures. In Belgium, Brussels' crowded bars and cafes were shut for a month, a return to the stricter protocols imposed at the height of the epidemic in March and April. And in France, officials were to apply tighter restrictions in several major cities, two days after a maximum alert protocol went into force in Paris. Across the Atlantic, President Donald Trump's handling of the pandemic continues to dominate the US election, with the Democrats' Kamala Harris accusing him of overseeing "the greatest failure... in the history of our country". Germany's response to the crisis has been held up as a relative success, but officials are now raising the alarm over a "worrying jump" in coronavirus cases. The number of new daily infections in Germany soared past 4,000 for the first time since early April. "We don't know how the situation in Germany will develop in the coming weeks," warned Lothar Wieler, the head of Germany's Robert Koch Institute for disease control. "It's possible that we will reach more than 10,000 cases a day. It's possible that the virus will spread uncontrollably. But I hope it doesn't." Partying youth The alarming jump in cases coincided with autumn school holidays in many parts of Germany, prompting calls from Chancellor Angela Merkel's government for citizens to avoid travel abroad. Health Minister Jens Spahn said many young people were "partying, travelling, thinking they are invincible". "But they're not," he said, urging them to think of the risk they pose to elderly relatives. The number of daily coronavirus infections came in at 18,746 in France on Wednesday, a record since widespread testing began. In Paris, bars and cafes were ordered to close on Tuesday for two weeks to slow the spread, just over a week after new restrictions were imposed on Marseille and the overseas region of Guadeloupe. Health Minister Olivier Veran is expected to announce later that tighter rules will be imposed in other cities. Bars were also ordered to close on Thursday in the Belgian capital Brussels, home to the headquarters of the European Union and NATO. Restaurants will remain open under strict social-distancing rules, but outdoor drinking and cafes will close after both new cases and hospitalisations surged to their highest levels since April. Scotland imposed two-week ban on pubs in its main cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh on Wednesday, increasing pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's UK government to take similar steps in England. But stark warnings from health experts about the rise in cases are balanced against rising opposition to lockdowns in many countries, from hard-pressed businesses and sceptical protesters. 'Greatest failure' In Spain, Madrid's top regional court on Thursday rejected a partial lockdown imposed on the capital's 4.5 million residents at the weekend. The ruling stated that the order intruded on "the rights and fundamental freedoms" of Madrilenos. Tensions over the virus also took centre stage at the US vice-presidential debate between the incumbent Mike Pence and Kamala Harris, running mate to Trump's Democratic challenger Joe Biden. The COVID-19 illness has killed more than 210,000 people in the United States, more than in any other country, and Trump has just emerged from hospital after catching a disease he once dismissed as harmless. "The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country," said Harris. "The president said it was a hoax. They minimised the seriousness of it," she declared. Pence insisted Trump had put "the health of America first" and accused Biden of copying his COVID plan. The novel coronavirus has killed more than a million people since the outbreak emerged in China last December, and the lockdown measures adopted by many governments have battered the world economy. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 AFP Harrisburg, NC -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/08/2020 -- The report provides a detailed assessment of the 'Global In Vitro Fertilization Market'. This includes enabling technologies, key trends, market drivers, challenges, standardization, regulatory landscape, deployment models, operator case studies, opportunities, future roadmaps, value chains, ecosystem player profiles, and strategies included. The report also presents a SWOT analysis and forecast for In Vitro Fertilization investments from 2020 to 2026. "The Global In-Vitro Fertilization Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.02% during the forecast period." Click Here to Get Sample PDF Copy of Latest Research on In Vitro Fertilization Market 2020: https://www.marketintelligencedata.com/reports/78869/global-in-vitro-fertilization-market-size-status-and-forecast-2020-2026/inquiry?source=RW&mode=87 Global In Vitro Fertilization includes Market Analysis Report Top Companies: Cooper surgical, Vitrolife, Cook Medical, Irvine Scientific, Thermo Fisher, Merck, Genea Limited, Esco Micro, IVFtech APS, The Baker Company, Kitazato, Rocket Medical have their own company profiles, growth phases, and market development opportunities. This report provides the latest industry details related to industry events, import/export scenarios, and market share. Global In-Vitro Fertilization Market Split by Product Type and Applications: This report segments the global In Vitro Fertilization Market on the basis of Types are: Fresh non-donor Frozen non-donor Fresh donor Frozen donor On the basis of Application, the Global In-Vitro Fertilization Market is segmented into: Fertility clinics and surgical centers Hospital and research laboratories Cryobanks Industry News: July 2, 2018 Merck, a main science and innovation organization, today announces the launch of QBOX IVF, and the new Geri Assess 2.0, in its proceeding with a drive to serve the necessities of its clients and to turn into the favored treatment accomplice for all IVF partners and helped conceptive treatment (ART) centers. May 20, 2010 - Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world chief in serving science, as of late announced two new products for in vitro preparation (IVF) applications, the Thermo Scientific Nunc IVF ICSI and Center Well petri dishes. Intended for predictable test conditions and dependable outcomes, all Nunc IVF dishes are tried to the best expectations and go through a thorough quality control methodology. As essential consumables inside IVF, petri dishes must be kept liberated from foreign substances to guarantee an upgraded trial climate. These dishes are planned with a level base for ideal warmth move, guaranteeing that the right temperature is kept up for cell reasonability. Regional Analysis for In Vitro Fertilization Market: North America (The United States, Canada, and Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, and Italy) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia) South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, etc.) The Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa) Browse The Report Description And TOC: https://www.marketintelligencedata.com/reports/78869/global-in-vitro-fertilization-market-size-status-and-forecast-2020-2026?source=RW&mode=87 Important Features that are under Offering and In Vitro Fertilization Market Highlights of the Reports: Detailed overview of the In Vitro Fertilization Market Changes in industry market dynamics Detailed market segmentation by type, application, etc. Historical, current, and projected market size in terms of quantity and value Recent industry trends and developments Competition situation of In Vitro Fertilization Market Key companies and product strategies Potential niche segment/region showing promising growth. Finally, the In Vitro Fertilization Market Report is the authoritative source for market research that can dramatically accelerate your business. The report shows economic conditions such as major locales, item values, profits, limits, generation, supply, requirements, market development rates, and numbers. Order a Copy of This Report at: https://www.marketintelligencedata.com/report/purchase/78869?mode=su?Mode=87 Research Methodology: The In Vitro Fertilization Market Report includes estimates of market value and volume. Both top-down and bottom-up approaches are used to estimate and validate the market size of the In Vitro Fertilization Market and the size of various other sub-markets of the market as a whole. The key players in the market have been identified through secondary research, and market share has been determined through primary and secondary research. Percentage splits and breakdowns are all determined using secondary and validated primary sources. Customization of the Report: This report can be customized as per your needs for additional data up to 3 companies or countries or 40 analyst hours. How we have factored the effect of Covid-19 in our report: All the reports that we list have been tracking the impact of COVID-19 on the market. Both upstream and downstream of the entire supply chain has been accounted for while doing this. Also, where possible, we will provide an additional COVID-19 update supplement/report to the report in Q3, please check for with the sales team. About us: Marketintelligencedata provides syndicated market research on industry verticals including Healthcare, Information, and Communication Technology (ICT), Technology and Media, Chemicals, Materials, Energy, Heavy Industry, etc. Marketintelligencedata provides global and regional market intelligence coverage, a 360-degree market view that includes statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations. Contact Us: Irfan Tamboli (Sales Manager) Market Intelligence Data Phone: + 1704 266 3234 sales@marketintelligencedata.com Incumbent Democrat Anne Stava-Murray of Naperville was the only Democratic state lawmaker out of 74 to not vote for Michael Madigan as House Speaker in 2019 when the longtime Democrat was embroiled in a sexual harassment probe involving people among his ranks. She also refused his help on the campaign trail before winning in 2018 and embarking on her freshman term. When the ComEd bribery scandal broke, Stava-Murray was the first Democrat to call on Madigan to step down. Again this year, she says her campaign has turned away help from Madigan. The ComEd scandal has decimated whatever little trust weve been able to build with people in our state, she says. Her opponent, Republican Laura Hois of Downers Grove, is a lawyer who strongly backs a constitutional amendment that would pave the way for pension reform. Stava-Murray, an important Democratic voice against the status quo, is endorsed. 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. (Photo : South African Entrepreneur Jason English) Uncertainty is rife in today's business world. With changing market dynamics and customer behaviours diverging wildly from the norm, the pandemic is revealing the business world's winners and losers; those whose business models fell on the right side of the pandemic and became even more relevant, and those whose business models have been driven out of existence. What the pandemic has also revealed is that companies simply cannot rely on their pre-pandemic business models to guide them into the future. Successful companies will be those which can quickly react and reshape to form pandemic-proof strategies and redefine a new path to value creation. The pandemic has also dramatically accelerated changes in consumer behaviour, with technologies adapting quickly to serve new demands. In fact, the period has highlighted how quickly technology has been able to make physical office spaces around the world completely redundant, accelerating the need for a new way for people to meet and interact. If any company has managed to embrace the pandemic and turn it into a competitive advantage, it is virtual reality start up The Virtulab, co-founded by Jason English and part of the CG Tech portfolio. Helmed by chairman Niall Carroll, CG Tech is an investment group that invests alongside existing management teams which demonstrate strong leadership and commitment principles, but which have not necessarily advanced in digital transformation. Formerly CG Labs, an internal technology support team operating out of South Africa and the United Kingdom, The Virtulab was spun-off at the height of the global pandemic as a new vertical within the CG Tech portfolio, when it was quickly recognised that the technology served a far greater - and far more lucrative - purpose in remote and virtual meetings. Indeed, as most organisations were retracting their operations, the CG Tech board saw the value to be captured and doubled down in harnessing virtual reality technologies to solve emerging business challenges. In his upcoming book "The Oros Effect", The Virtulab co-founder Jason English uses the metaphor of Oros, a popular regional orange concentrate, to spread corporate culture throughout organisations, aligning people around a common cause and propelling companies forward in uncertain times. "It's challenging enough for leaders to navigate the challenges of the present. Unless leaders are able to effectively pass on the corporate culture, their knowledge, their beliefs and their ideas - effectively, their "Oros" - onto those around them, it becomes increasingly challenging to push forward and disrupt in such a rapidly changing market." In fact, CG Tech portfolio companies have made it their mantra to enter some of the most established industries and use technology to reimagine business models and dominate their markets. Prommac, a CG Tech company led by former CEO Jason English - now led by CEO Dany De Barros - went from a niche player in the oil and gas services sector employing a handful of people, to a dominant player employing over 2000 people with revenues exceeding R500 million. In a recent interview, Jason English commented, "We have never shied away from a challenge, and The Virtulab is a tangible manifestation of this. Having the perspective to see challenges across our verticals, identifying synergies when they exist, and being able to respond swiftly and comprehensively to try and solve them, is what sets The Virtulab and other CG Tech companies apart." Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and drone technology is an area the CG Tech group's The Virtulab is actively exploring. And it's an area of increasing opportunity. With a global drone market projected to grow from USD 19.3B in 2019 to USD 45.8B in 2025, commercial drone technology is experiencing the highest growth. The remote aircraft piloted systems (RAPS), led by The Virtulabs Managing Director David Cummins, has capitalised on this trend to repurpose drone technologies from their roots in military applications, and redefine them to provide support services in the oil and gas, rail and power generation industries. Among the portfolio of services offered by the Virtulab is Virtuscan, a visualisation portal for drone and ground-based data capture, and Virtuplan, a rapid deployment and scene creation tool for sites and infrastructure planning. Dubbed by The Virtulab team as 'digital solutions for analogue problems', the suite of tools is rapidly revolutionising the operational processes of traditional industries such as oil and gas, construction, and event management. With Virtuworx, The Virtulab team - headed by Chief Innovation Officer Wayne Strydom - is tapping into a global virtual reality market estimated at USD 6.1B in 2020, and expected to reach USD 20.9B by 2025. Conceived pre-pandemic as a team productivity and online training solution, which increased the value of Prommac exponentially, the platform soon found relevance as a tool to connect remote teams together, with compelling virtual spaces that mirror their analogue counterparts, including educational spaces, conference booths, office spaces and meeting rooms which fundamentally solved the most challenging question during the Covid pandemic: how might we create a socially engaging environment during remote work. Within the pandemic context, an avatar-based virtual environment proved precisely what the market needed, since companies could now create a digital twin of their physical space, or conceive a unique piece of virtual real estate unhindered by the physical constraints of reality. Want to host your next global sales meeting on the International Space Station? The Virtulabs team could build it. And you'll get your own personalised space suit to boot. Such is the power of virtual reality when applied in this new context. With all the changes we've seen in just the past few months, who could have possibly imagined that the future of work would look as radically different as it does today? The team at The Virtulab may be offering us a glimpse, not only of the future of work, but perhaps of the future of how we will live and play. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The perimeter security and other safety upgrades were planned out last year, Whitmer spokeswoman Tiffany Brown said in early September. They were scheduled to start in the early spring but were delayed until recently because of the pandemic, she said. South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee attends a press conference following her hearing before 164 member states' representatives, as part of the application process to head the World Trade Organization (WTO) as Director General in Geneva on July 16, 2020. AFP-Yonhap South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee has made it onto the shortlist of two finalists in a race to become the new chief of the World Trade Organization (WTO), a news report said Thursday. The South Korean candidate will now compete with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from Nigeria for the top seat, Reuters reported, citing three unidentified sources. The WTO earlier said the candidates for the final round of the selection process will be announced later Thursday (Geneva time). Member states will reach a consensus on the winner in the third round of the process. With the two finalists both being women, it means the Geneva-based trade body will likely have the first female chief in its 25-year history. During the second round, each member state recommended up to two preferences. Yoo competed with candidates from Saudi Arabia and Britain in the second round of the elimination process. Three candidates from Mexico, Egypt and Moldova were eliminated from the list in the first round. Once members reach a consensus on the final candidate, the WTO will then approve the final candidate during a general council meeting. The process is widely expected to be completed in early November. Yoo is the third South Korean to run for the top post of the Geneva-based trade body. Two South Koreans made unsuccessful bids in 1994 and 2012. During her campaign, Yoo vowed to focus on rebuilding trust in the multilateral trade system by making it more "relevant, resilient and responsive" if she is picked as the new WTO leader. Since July, she has visited various countries, including Switzerland, the United States, France and Sweden, to drum up their support. This combination of file pictures created on October 7, 2020, shows Yoo Myung-hee in Geneva on July 16, 2020, and Nigerian former Foreign and Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in Geneva, July 15, 2020, as they give press conferences as part of their application process to head the WTO as Director General. AFP-Yonhap Lebanon's Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc said on Thursday negotiating with Israel over maritime borders "is not connected to" making peace with Israel. Lebanon and Israel agreed to a framework for U.S.-mediated talks aimed at ending a long-running dispute over their maritime border in the eastern Mediterranean. Lebanon and Israel are still in a formal state of war. Search Keywords: Short link: 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. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: 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. Oman's Special Economic Zone at Duqm (Sezad) reviewed the success achieved in the property and construction sector within the zone during a meeting with Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The delegation of real estate development and construction committee of the Chamber also discussed the establishment of commercial and real estate businesses and the role of local and international investors in the zone, reported Times of Oman. The significant role of Sezad in supporting real estate sector was highlighted too, it stated, citing a senior official. "The Special Economic Zone at Duqm is full of different investment opportunities in the real estate sector, offered with simple procedures and clear information to attract individuals to invest in Duqm," said Hassan bin Khamis Al Ruqaishi, the chairman of Real Estate Development and Construction Committee at the Chamber. "I believe what we have seen during the visit is a testimonial for the promising growth, which will be witnessed in the Zone over the next five years," he added. The FBI has reportedly thwarted an alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D). A federal affidavit on Thursday described how six men allegedly discussed kidnapping the governor and bringing her to Wisconsin to "stand 'trial' for treason" before the 2020 presidential election, and the plot "involved reaching out to members of a Michigan militia," The Detroit News reported. An FBI investigation into the individuals reportedly began in early 2020. "Several members talked about murdering 'tyrants' or 'taking' a sitting governor," an FBI agent reportedly said in the affidavit. "The group decided they needed to increase their numbers and encouraged each other to talk to their neighbors and spread their message." Six men have been charged in connection with the alleged plot, The Associated Press reports. They allegedly conducted surveillance at Whitmer's vacation home twice, reports The Detroit News. "The group talked about creating a society that followed the U.S. Bill of Rights and where they could be self-sufficient," the affidavit reportedly said. "They discussed different ways of achieving this goal from peaceful endeavors to violent actions. At one point, several members talked about state governments they believed were violating the U.S. Constitution, including the government of Michigan and Governor Gretchen Whitmer. As part of that recruitment effort, [Adam] Fox reached out to a Michigan-based militia group." According to AP, the FBI says four of the men planned to meet on Wednesday to "make a payment on explosives and exchange tactical gear," and the complaint alleges that "the men gathered over the summer for firearms training, combat drills, and tried to make explosives," The New York Times writes. The men were reportedly each charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping. More stories from theweek.com Mike Pence was the unlikely winner of the vice presidential debate The myth of Mike Pence's appeal Trump is shockingly bad at this We have been deeply distressed by the way survivors of sexual violence are being used as a political shield to deflect urgent critiques of (U.S.) policing systems, including Chicagos, the report reads. Questions like What happens to rapists and abusers without police? and Wont sexual assault and domestic violence be more frequent if police arent there to investigate and arrest offenders? stem from a deep misunderstanding of how these crimes are being addressed. For survivors seeking justice through the criminal legal system, current responses are grossly inadequate despite law enforcement and the public claiming that addressing sex crimes is a top priority. Ahmedabad: As many as 29 students of premier design institute National Institute of Design (NID), including 14 females and a foreign national, were arrested on Saturday in connection with a liquor party, police said. We arrested 29 students of National Institute of Design after conducting raid on a private apartment based on a complain to police control room late last night that a liquor party was being organised there, said ACP (N Division) Kalpesh Chavda. Among the arrested students, 14 are women, he said, adding that one of the students is a foreign national from Johannesburg in South Africa. The liquor party was organised at one Pushkar Apartments located in Paldi area of the city near the NID campus, following which police conducted raid at around 3 AM, Chavda said. Six bottles of liquor were also seized from the apartment. We have taken all students into custody and are investigating as to where they sourced liquor from, among other things, he said. An FIR was lodged at Paldi police station under various sections Bombay Prohibition (Gujarat Amendment) Act, he said. Consumption of liquor is prohibited in Gujarat. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey 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Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws 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 Some one-third of computers in Vietnam are infected by malware, the National Cyber Security Center has warned following a computer screening campaign. The campaign, which screened over 300,000 computers over three weeks from mid-September, found 100,000 of them infected. Out of around 16 million IPv4 addresses in Vietnam, three million are blacklisted by multiple international organizations and two million others are frequently found in major botnet networks, a spokesperson for the Authority of Information Security, which oversees the NCSC, said. A botnet is a network of Internet-connected devices, each with software running automated tasks on the Internet called bots. Botnets can be used to steal data, send spam or get unauthorized access. Nguyen Ngoc Thang, a specialist with the NCSC's R&D department, said the number of malware infection discovered by the campaign was "too small" as reports have shown that as of last year, over 85 million computers in Vietnam have already been infected by malware. The campaign, which began on September 17, seeks to halve the malware infection rate and remove half the Vietnamese IP addresses from botnet networks, taking Vietnam out of the top of the global malware infection rankings, Ngo Tuan Anh, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Information Security Association, said. It does so by providing malware detection and removal tools on its website, which is regularly updated. Anyone can access the website and use the tools for free. Malwares cost Vietnam around VND20 trillion ($862.9 million) in 2019, according to tech firm Bkav. The country also had the highest encounter rate with ransomware in the Asia-Pacific last year, a Microsoft cybersecurity report said earlier this year. In the first four months of 2020, the Department of Information Security recorded 1,056 cyber-attacks on information systems comprising 553 phishing attacks, 280 website defacement attacks and 223 malware attacks, down 51.4 percent compared to the same period in 2019. On Wednesday, Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson unveiled the list of the banned items from the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec, CBC said in a news report. The items comprise grocery checkout bags, straws, stir sticks, six-pack rings, plastic cutlery, and food takeout containers made from hard-to-recycle plastics. According to the Minister, regulations to introduce the ban will be finalized by the end of 2021. "When a ban comes into effect, your local stores will be providing you with alternatives to these plastic products, like reusable or paper bags in place of plastic," the CBC news report quoted Wilkinson as saying. The ban however, will not include plastics used to make personal protective gear or medical waste, he added. Released in January, a scientific assessment report said that in 2016, 29,000 tonnes of plastic garbage ended up as Canada's beaches, parks, lakes and even in the air. The report also provided evidence that macroplastics -- pieces bigger than 5 mm -- are hurting even wildlife. 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. Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (26) The National Trust was hit hard by lockdown measures and safety rules in the UK impacting the number of people being able to visit its sites. Photo: David Jones/PA via AP Conservation and heritage charity National Trust is going to axe nearly 1,300 jobs as part of its plan to save 100m ($129m) in annual costs following the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The group warned back in July this year that it was mulling over making 1,200 people redundant due to lockdown measures and safety rules in the UK impacting the number of people being able to visit its sites. National Trust, which has 5.6 million members, will make 514 compulsory redundancies following a consultation and a further 782 people have already taken voluntary redundancy. It will also make 41m in annual costs from cost-cutting plans, such as reducing travel and office costs, slashing marketing and print spend, and will instead focus on digital communications. READ MORE: UK firms warn on triple threat: Local lockdowns, furlough wind-up, and Brexit disruption National Trusts director general Hilary McGrady paid tribute to staff, volunteers, and members saying: Its with deep sadness that we have to make redundancies. Its been a difficult process with some very hard choices. I want to thank everyone who has been involved especially those whose jobs have been affected and the members and volunteers who care so passionately about the Trust. Theyve really tested the ideas put forward, and helped shape our proposals so that we are in the best possible position to recover well, McGrady added. This is a very painful time for so many organisations, businesses and communities. The Trust is only as strong as it is because of its people our staff, volunteers and supporters. READ MORE: UK government warned firms face job cuts 'cliff edge' after Christmas No leader wants to be forced into announcing any redundancies, but coronavirus means we simply have no other choice if we want to give the charity a sustainable future. We have exhausted every other avenue to find savings, but sadly we now have to come to terms with the fact that we will lose some colleagues. We will do all we can to support those who are leaving, and others affected by these significant changes. Story continues In making these changes now, I am confident we will be well-placed to face the challenges ahead, protecting the places that visitors love and nature needs, and ensuring our conservation work continues long into the future. The coronavirus pandemic has smashed the jobs market across the globe with UK employers slashing 695,000 jobs since March when the coronavirus first sent Britain into national lockdown. Britains official unemployment rate also increased, as expected by analysts, to 4.1% between May and July, from 3.9% a month earlier, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The claimant count, which includes unemployed and low-paid workers receiving work-related benefits, stood at 2.7 million last month, up 120.8% since March. New estimates also show the total number of jobs in Britain has fallen by 354,000 to 35.4 million between March and June, the steepest fall in almost three decades. READ MORE: Greene King to cut around 800 jobs and shut 79 pubs following 10pm curfew The government has come under enormous pressure to do more to stave off job losses as the crisis drags on and the furlough scheme is wound down. It promised 238m of new support for jobseekers this month. Support will include advice on growing sectors, CVs and interviews, according to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It will also be targeted at anyone out of work for more than three months. Earlier this week, UK chancellor Rishi Sunak said efforts to save jobs were the best way to return the public finances to sustainable levels. The finance minister said: The priority right now is jobs. My overwhelming focus at the moment is trying to protect and support as many jobs as possible. MIAMIPolitically active couple Jet Setting Jasmine and King Noire will be appearing at a conference hosted by the Sexual Health Alliance (SHA) on Friday, October 9, and Saturday, October 10. The aim of the conference is to train sex therapists, sex educators and professionals on issues that create barriers to clients in alternative lifestyle relationships, sex workers and/or marginalized communities, from having healthy and genuine relationships with mental health providers. The conference will challenge providers to assess their own biases and undertaking of stigma towards clients with different backgrounds, professions and lifestyles, that taint their ability to provide comprehensive ethical care. Students will learn directly from sex-positive professionals including, sex workers, medical providers and attorneys to be best positioned at supporting their clients. Through this collaboration, SHA will offer two full scholarships to the Black, Indigenous, People of Color Adult Industry Collective (BIPOC-AIC) to pursue a career in sex therapy, educating and or consulting. This offer is in full concert with Noire and Jasmines efforts to point sex workers toward opportunities to pursue longevity in the sex industry, given that the lived skills, knowledge and abilities that sex workers possess are very transferable to the mainstream therapeutic space. It feels right to have people that want to serve our community and/or educate others about sex and sexuality actually learn from people that are living the life. As a psychotherapist myself, I know that some of the best education I received was experiential and intimate with the population I wanted to help, said Jasmine. I am also thrilled that we have an opportunity to offer other sex workers this scholarship that can add another dimension to their careers. Sustaining oneself in the sex industry is so important, as many have found that trying to shift into mainstream work is often met with stigma and unsatisfactory ways of earning a living. I want to see people be able to use their skillsets long into their retirement. We are beyond excited to welcome Jasmine into the SHA family. We fell in love with her instantly, with her work and wisdom surrounding unconventional clients and therapeutic approach, said a spokesperson from SHA. This is one conference you do not want to miss. Jasmine will do a deep dive into the hottest topics facing your clients. This weekend will push your boundaries and help you grow into a sexceptional professional. For more information go to SexualHealthAlliance.com. To register, click here. The Sexual Health Alliance is on Instagram and on Facebook. For more information on King Noire and Jet Setting Jasmine, click here. Fans may follow Jet Setting Jasmine on Twitter and on Instagram. Fans may follow King Noire on Twitter and on Instagram. Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws 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 Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 19:17:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GENEVA, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Two female candidates, Nigeria's Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and South Korea's Yoo Myung-hee, entered the final round of race to become the new director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the organization said on Thursday. "Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria and Korean minister Yoo Myung-hee will advance to the third and final stage of consultations," WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell told journalists at WTO headquarters in Geneva. Amina Mohamed from Kenya, Mohammad Maziad Al-Tuwaijri from Saudi Arabia, and Liam Fox from Britain, were thus ruled out of further competition following the second round of consultations. The result creates an "historic precedent" for the WTO in its 25-year history that it assures that the new director-general will become the first woman to lead the organization, said the organization in a press release. The spokesperson said that the third and final round of consultations with WTO members would run from Oct. 19 to Oct. 27, with the ultimate objective to secure a consensus decision by members on the next director-general. The process for selecting a new chief was triggered on May 14, when former Director-General Roberto Azevedo informed WTO members that he would step down one year before the official end of his term. He subsequently left office on Aug. 31. During the one-month nomination period starting June 7, a total of eight candidates were officially nominated. In theory, Azevedo's successor should be selected by Nov. 7 under an agreed elimination process that is based on consensus. Enditem 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. Watch: Could Meghan Markle be US president despite being a member of the royal family? A fake website campaigning for Meghan Markle to become president of the United States appears to be encouraging people to spoil their ballots. Meghanforpresident.com appeared in recent days and uses pictures of the Duchess of Sussex with mottos like together, we will lead. The site has been called obviously fake by a source close to the couple but it may concern Meghan that it encourages voters to write her name on their ballot papers. In a blog post about write-in candidates, it shares this advice from the US government website: Besides the names on your ballot, you may be able to write in names of other candidates. Most states let you write in votes for president, U.S. senator, and U.S. representative. They may also allow write-in votes for governor and other state offices. Check with your state election office to find out the rules for your state. If you check using your states election website, enter write-in candidates in the search bar. It would allow people to show support for Meghan as a candidate, but it would be unlikely that with no campaigning she would garner the votes needed to be elected. Read more: Meghan Markle says she is 'free' because 'flattery and criticism go down same drain' Meghan, Harry and Archie now live in California. (WireImage) While the duchess has been vocal in encouraging people to vote, she has avoided naming any specific candidate she may be backing. A source close to the couple said: Its obviously fake. I would encourage people not to give it more attention than it deserves especially as its collecting peoples email addresses and encouraging people to spoil ballots. In a blog posted on the website at the end of September, pretending to be Meghan, it says: After many months of reflection and internal discussions, I have heard your calls to become President of the United States of America. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few months, that I feel prepared to make this decision. With your support I believe we can bring equality, empowerment, and kindness to this dangerous, aggressive and confrontational world we live in. Story continues I look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support. Read more: Harry and Meghan's political statements 'could harm US brand - but might help them internationally' Meghan is no stranger to speech making, as here in South Africa. (WireImage) The blog mimics the language Meghan, 39, and her husband Prince Harry, 36, used when they announced their decision to step back from their senior royal roles. Meghans foray into the political world since she and Harry moved to California has drawn attention and criticism in the UK, with polls suggesting people believe they should have to give up their royal titles. She addressed some of the criticism by saying: If you listen to what I actually say its not controversial. Read more: Did Meghan Markle share this skincare tip with Serena Williams? While she has not yet made any announcement to run herself, it is constitutionally possible for her to run and she qualifies based on US requirements. Bookmakers offered odds of 50/1 for her to run in the 2024 election. Watch: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sign mega deal with Netflix 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 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. A body believed to be that of missing Federal Circuit Court judge Guy Andrew has been found by police in Brisbane's Mount Coot-tha forest. Queensland Police late on Thursday said the body was yet to be formally identified as that of the 55-year-old, adding that investigations were continuing. But Family Court of Australia Chief Justice William Alstergren confirmed Judge Andrew's death. It is with deep sadness that I confirm the tragic death of Judge Guy Andrew, Justice Alstergren said in a statement. "His Honour will be remembered as a fine, highly-respected barrister and a diligent and determined judge who lived a life of service to others and to the law. Federal Circuit Court Judge Guy Andrew had been missing from the Mount Coot-tha area since Sunday, October 4. Source: AAP/Supplied He was loved and admired by many during his long career at the Bar and he made many good friendships in his short time on the Bench. The esteem in which he was held was evident by the large number of judges, barristers, solicitors, associates and other Court staff who took an active part in the search for him. "His tragic passing is a timely reminder of the extraordinary pressure on all who practice in the often highly emotive family law jurisdiction. This pressure can be exacerbated by appointment." Mr Andrew was a keen walker and disappeared after leaving his north Brisbane home early on Sunday to exercise. The judge's Toyota HiLux was found about 2pm the same day. Dozens of police officers, emergency services personnel and volunteers scoured dense, hilly bush around the Enoggera Reservoir during the past three days. They were joined by members of the defence force on Thursday as the search area was expanded. A file image of Mt Coot-tha's forest. Source: Getty/file If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 22 4636. 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. (Reuters) - Myanmars election commission has released a smartphone app criticised over its use of a derogatory label for Rohingya Muslims despite entreaties by its European Union funders to remove controversial data. The mVoter2020 app, aimed at improving voter awareness, labels at least two candidates from the Rohingya ethnic group as Bengali, a term that implies they are immigrants from Bangladesh and is rejected by many Rohingya. After campaign group Justice for Myanmar said last week the app risked inflaming nationalism, a website shared by the election commission directing people to download it went offline and a mobile version was not available. But the mobile app has been available to download since Saturday with candidates' race and religion data listed, and that of their parents, and a web version is also accessible. Pierre Michel, public diplomacy adviser to the EUs Myanmar mission, said the EU had strongly advocated for the removal of all controversial data that could lead to discrimination and exclusion, declining to comment further. The Union Election Commission (UEC) did not answer telephone calls seeking comment. The app was developed by the election commission, with support from STEP Democracy, an EU-funded project implemented in Myanmar by the Sweden-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), and the U.S.-based Asia Foundation. Donors have sought to distance themselves from the app, saying the UEC is solely responsible for its content and removing social media posts detailing their involvement. A Rohingya candidate listed as Bengali on the app was disqualified from running on Friday after the UEC said it had found his parents were not citizens, though it was not clear if the decision was connected to the app. Marcus Brand, the country director of International IDEA, said the organisation regretted that any candidates have been targeted, harassed or attacked over their ethnicity or religious affiliation but said the declaration of ethnicity and religion was an integral part of Myanmar's electoral process. Story continues He said he had been informed the candidate disqualification was not related to the app or the current controversy. The Asia Foundation did not respond to requests for comment. (Editing by Robert Birsel) The teenager was invented in the 1950s. Of course, the stages of physical development that characterize those years taking us from childhood to adulthood havent fundamentally changed as long as Homo sapiens has existed. But even though there were teenagers in, say, ancient Rome, they werent teenagers as weve known them over the past three or four generations. It happened amid the economic growth of the years after World War II, first in the United Kingdom and even more so the United States: adolescents, especially high-school students, turned from mere immature adults into a distinct demographic group with its own tastes, politics, spaces, mobility, and culture. Before teenagers invaded the rest of the world, they must have struck visitors to America as by turns thrilling and troubling. So it was with the students in the video above, who came to the U.S. in 1955 the year of Rebel Without a Cause as participants in the New York Herald Tribunes World Youth Forum. This filmed discussion on the curious phenomenon of the American teenager features Minji Karibo of Nigeria, Nasreen Ahmad of Pakistan, Paik Nak-chung of South Korea, and Ava Leitenan of Finland, all of whom had just spent a few months visiting American schools. Leitenan begins on a positive note: I didnt know there would be so much smile, she says. I can just feel the friendliness flow against me. But as many a first-time traveler in America has discovered, that characteristic (and sometimes overwhelming) friendliness masks a more complex realty. Karibo criticizes American girls who think its fashionable to tell lies about going on dates during weekends, when as a matter of fact they sat at home all the time. After reminding everyone that you cannot judge the amount of freedom the American children have by your standard, Paik admits that I see such an informality between the ages and between the sexes, I get rather shocked, but the fact that it is shocking does not necessarily mean it is not good for them. None of these exchange-student panelists shows more skepticism about America than Ahmad, whose glimpses of dating and education there have confirmed her preference for arranged marriage and sex-segregated schools. Maybe it works for American teenagers, but if we were given suddenly this amount of freedom, she says, Im afraid you would get fearful consequences. However much the four disagree about the benefits and dangers of that freedom, they all seem to believe that Americans could stand to reflect on how to make better use of it than they do. I think it is a lack of intellectual capacity to use their freedom properly, says the young Paik, trying delicately to pin down the problem with American life. After the World Youth Forum, Paik traveled the world before finishing high school in Korea. He would then return to the U.S. to study at Brown University before starting his career as a literary critic and public intellectual in his homeland. In 2018 he gave a speech at the University of Chicago on Koreas Candlelight Revolution, and this past summer he published a new book on D.H. Lawrence, which Korean-speakers can hear him interviewed about here. Hes one of the success stories among the many participants in the World Youth Forum, more of whose 1950s discussions on race, on social relations, the Middle-East conflict you can watch on this Youtube playlist. 65 years later, no matter our age or nationality, we all have something of the American teenager about us. Whether thats good or bad remains a matter for debate. via Messy Nessy Related Content: What Life Was Like for Teenagers in Ancient Rome: Get a Glimpse from a TED-ED Animation 1950 Superman Poster Urged Kids to Defend All Americans, Regardless of Their Race, Religion or National Origin How Finland Created One of the Best Educational Systems in the World (by Doing the Opposite of U.S.) Nigerian Teenagers Are Making Slick Sci Fi Films With Their Smartphones In Japanese Schools, Lunch Is As Much About Learning As Its About Eating Pakistani Immigrant Goes to a Led Zeppelin Concert, Gets Inspired to Become a Musician & Then Sells 30 Million Albums Based in Seoul, Colin Marshall writes and broadcasts on cities, language, and culture. His projects include the Substack newsletter Books on Cities, the book The Stateless City: a Walk through 21st-Century Los Angeles and the video series The City in Cinema. Follow him on Twitter at @colinmarshall, on Facebook, or on Instagram. Mali announced Thursday the release of an elderly French aid worker, two Italian captives and a top Malian politician, all believed to have been held by jihadists. French President Emmanuel Macron immediately voiced "immense relief" at the release of the worker, the last French hostage in the world, and expressed France's continued support for Mali in its fight against an Islamist insurgency. Mali's presidency said in a tweet on Thursday that Frenchwoman Sophie Petronin, 75, and Soumaila Cisse, 70, were on their way to the capital Bamako. The announcement has come after several days of uncertainty about the release of the pair, who were believed to have been held by al-Qaeda-affiliated militants. Speculation about their release began to circulate in the conflict-ridden Sahel state over the weekend, when the government released over 100 suspected and convicted jihadists. In an unexpected development, the prime minister's office also announced that two Italian nationals named Nicola Chiacchio and Pier Luigi Maccalli had been freed. Petronin was abducted by gunmen on December 24, 2016, in the northern city of Gao, where she worked for a children's charity. She was the last French national held hostage in the world. Cisse, a 70-year-old former opposition leader and three-time presidential candidate, was kidnapped on March 25 while campaigning in his home region of Niafounke, in central Mali, ahead of parliamentary elections. Mali's government on Thursday gave no indication of the circumstances of the hostages' release, nor did it provide information on the health of either Petronin or Cisse. Days of suspense An airport official in Tessalit, in northern Mali, confirmed to AFP that the pair were in a plane en route to Bamako. He added that the pair said that they were happy, before boarding the aircraft. One of the intermediaries who was involved in the release negotiations, who also requested anonymity, said the process "was not easy". Mali released over 100 jihadist prisoners to the volatile centre of the country over the weekend, and in the northern town of Tessalit, a security official told AFP this week. The rare mass release sparked immediate speculation on social media that the government was conducting a prisoner swap for Petronin and Cisse. Both the Malian and French governments declined to comment on the affair over the following days, despite intense media interest. French officials, in particular, cited the need to maintain discretion. The prisoner release came with an interim government due to govern Mali for 18 months before staging elections after a military junta overthrew president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August. The kidnapping of former opposition leader Cisse was one of the factors that fuelled popular protests which led to the ouster of Keita over his perceived inability to tackle jihadists and Islamist insurgency. Thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed in the conflict, which has also often taken on an ethnic dimension. The intermediary involved in the negotiations told AFP on Thursday that releasing the jihadists was necessary. "Yes, terrorists were released," he said. "We had to obtain the release," he added. Several other hostages remain detained by militant groups in the Sahel. Search Keywords: Short link: Early Detection is Key to Surviving Breast Cancer Breast cancer is a potentially deadly disease that affects approximately 245,000 women each year in the U.S. and causes more than 44,000 to lose their lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Additionally, it is estimated that one in eight women in the United States (12%) will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Black women and White women are diagnosed with breast cancer at about the same rate, but Black women die from breast cancer at a higher rate than White women, according to the CDC. Compared with White women, breast cancer incidence rates were higher among Black women who are younger than age 60, but lower among Black women who are 60-years-old or older. Furthermore, breast cancer is more likely to be found at an earlier stage among White women than among Black women. ADVERTISEMENT With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, its vitally important for women in the Black community to have a better understanding of the symptoms, causes and importance of early detection that in many cases can be the difference between life and death, according to a health expert. Next to skin cancer, breast cancer impacts more American women than any other form of cancer, said Dr. Branden Turner, a family medicine physician and assistant physician in charge at Kaiser Permanentes Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw Medical Office Building. Early detection saves lives because it is the best way to diagnose the disease when its easier to treat, and before it reaches an advanced stage that often can lead to more serious complications, including death. Most breast cancers are found in women who are age 50 or older, but breast cancer also affects younger women, according to the CDC. About 10% of all new cases of breast cancer in the U.S. are found in women younger than 45 years of age. Men also can get breast cancer, but its not very common. Less than 1% of breast cancers occur in men, the CDC reports. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an organization made up of doctors and disease experts who look at research on the best way to prevent diseases and make recommendations on how doctors can help patients avoid diseases or find them early, recommends that women who are ages 50 to 74 and are at average risk for breast cancer get a mammogram every two years. Women who are 40 to 49 years old should talk to their doctor about when to start and how often to get a mammogram. Before age 50, the USPSTF encourages women to weigh the benefits and risks of screening tests when deciding whether to begin getting mammograms before age 50. ADVERTISEMENT Although breast cancer screening cannot prevent breast cancer, it can help find breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat, said Dr. Turner said. Talk to your doctor about getting a mammogram. What Are the Symptoms? According to the CDC, there are different symptoms of breast cancer, which include: Any change in the size or the shape of the breast. Pain in any area of the breast. Nipple discharge other than breast milk (including blood). A new lump in the breast or underarm. If you have any signs that worry you, see your doctor right away, Dr. Turner said. Most women who get breast cancer have no known risk factors and no history of the disease in their families. So, its important to be vigilant and do what you can to lower your breast cancer risk. Breast Cancer Risks The CDC notes many factors over the course of a lifetime can influence your breast cancer risk. You may not be able to change some factors, such as getting older or your family history, but you can help lower your risk of breast cancer by taking care of your health in the following ways: If you have a family history of breast cancer, talk to your doctor about other ways to lower your risk. Keep a healthy weight. Exercise regularly. Dont drink alcohol, or limit alcoholic drinks. If you are taking, or have been told to take hormone replacement or birth control pills, ask your doctor about the risks and find out if it is right for you. If possible, breastfeed your children. Staying healthy throughout your life will lower your risk of developing breast cancer and other diseases, and will also improve your chances of surviving cancer if it occurs, Dr. Turner said. 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. Joe Biden told reporters on Thursday that voters would learn his position on packing the Supreme Court after the election. Senate Republicans are currently attempting to confirm the appointment of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, a move that would solidify a 6-3 conservative majority among the courts justices. Some Democrats, alarmed by the move, have floated the idea of packing the court (increasing the number of justices) if the party wins the presidency and Senate. Both Biden and running mate Senator Kamala Harris (D., Calif.) have refused to say whether they would attempt to pack the Supreme Court if elected. During a Thursday press conference in Phoenix, Ariz., Biden attempted to clarify his reasoning. Youll know my opinion of court-packing when the election is over, Biden said. Now look, I knowits a great question, and I dont blame you all for asking. But you know the moment I answer that question, the headline in every one of your papers will be about that. Biden added that the issue was a distraction from the nomination of Coney Barrett, which he and other Democrats have maintained is moving too quickly. During the vice presidential debate on Wednesday night, Vice President Mike Pence repeatedly pressed Harris on the issue of court packing. The California senator refused to directly address the issue. The American people deserve a straight answer and if you havent figured it out yet, the straight answer is they are going to pack the Supreme Court if they somehow win this election, Pence said. More from National Review This article is part of the The DC Brief, TIMEs politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox every weekday. Weve used this newsletter this week to sketch out a handful of likely outcomes of the election. We considered a scenario in which Joe Biden has built an insurmountable lead and is coasting to a clear victory and another in which Donald Trump pulls a rabbit out of a hat and prevails. Today we offer a third scenario: the winner isnt immediately clear and the country is plunged into weeks or months of uncertainty. Given everything weve gone through this year, is there any reason to expect that 2020 will give us anything tidy? A warning to those battling anxiety: what follows is a doomscroll of the first order. We should be prepared for the prospect of electoral snafus, recounts and pitched court battles. How severe the fallout from these problems are will likely land on a spectrum, from annoying delays to full-blown civilian insurrection. Those are poles of extremes for sure, but they arent unimaginable in a country thats facing an ongoing pandemic and economic crisis, a reckoning on race and an incumbent President and Vice President who repeatedly refuse to pledge fealty to a peaceful transition of power. The turnout for the election is projected to be a once-a-century event, the U.S. Postal Service is now an accidental elections administrator and COVID-19 hasnt exactly made balloting easier. The load of early returns is already massive: almost 6 million returned ballots and counting, according to Democratic firm TargetSmart. The unexpected could escalate quickly, so were going to take this in orders of intensity and hope for off-ramps to be built in the next three-plus weeks. Every American should be prepared not to know the results of the election on Election Night. Or the day after. Or the week after that. This is nothing to panic about. Reporting and counting delays are regular occurrences. I landed one of my first bylines in The Washington Post back in 2006 with a piece about all of the House races in that midterm election that remained uncalled days later. Often, these delays are the result of an abundance of caution. Although errors do occasionally happen, its worth remembering that my former bosses at The Associated Press were finalists for a Pulitzer Prize, in part, for their refusal in 2000 to declare a winner in that years presidential race. During five November election nights in the APs newsroom and hundreds of primary nights in the field I witnessed over and over that a hunch was never the substitute for a data-driven decision. If race calls are delayed, thats a sign of responsibility. Story continues Those slow decisions, though, can be compounded if the data thats coming out of precincts are flawed. Its worth remembering that the United States doesnt actually have a national election. Instead, there are hundreds of elections, each contained within the borders of cities, counties, states, territories and the odd creation that is the District of Columbia. Its possible that garbage results can start in one, local precinct, then be fed up to county election offices, loaded into state systems, and advanced as state tallies. The temporary contractors hired by news organizations in key precincts can get things wrong. Exit polls, similarly, can bring problematic results suggesting the correct numbers are being called into question and misrepresent what voters actually did inside those schools, churches and libraries. The clearest example, as my TIME colleague Molly Ball unpacked, is the disconnect between how women voted in 2016 based on exit polls and how they actually voted. And of course, we cant dismiss the possibility that domestic or foreign adversaries might physically hack election results. Russia targeted election systems in all 50 states in 2016. They got through the door in several states and tried to change data. Swing states were of particular interest. This cycle, foreign meddling has gotten less attention, but our enemies interest hasnt waned. Top intel officials have repeatedly warned about this threat and, on Wednesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray published a video seeking to calm fears of a hijacked election. (For the view from Moscow, check out my colleague Simon Schusters reporting in the links below.) Perhaps more potent than hacking is the psychological hijack. Americas enemies have long been busy sowing doubts about the merits of our imperfect democracy, and bad actors in Russia, China and Iran are online everyday seeding social media with disinformation and conspiracy theories. The Presidents diagnosis of COVID-19 illustrates this perfectly, as Russian, Chinese and Iranian platforms amplified doubts about Trumps health and future, as my TIME colleagues W.J. Hennigen and Vera Bergengruen illustrate. Democracy hinges on a faith in the system. If you want to destroy the system, all you have to do is hobble that faith. And this brings us to the threat from inside the house. Trump has for months been planting doubts about the validity of the election. Social media has given him safe harbor, as Bergengruen reported back in September. There is a very real scenario in which everything has gone wrong: votes are missing, counts are inconsistent, hackers are behind the firewalls and fact-checkers prove no match to troll farms. At this point, we dont yet know who won. And yet, by harnessing the megaphone of his office fueled by his Twitter platform Trump declares himself the victor. That declaration wont make it true, but it does run the risk of discrediting legitimate challenges. When the Gore-Lieberman campaign fought for a recount in 2000, Republicans dubbed it Sore Loserman. Even if Trump were to lose in the courts, hes already planted the seeds of doubt. The Not My President posture has potency on both sides. We can expect at least some of these disputes to be litigated in the courts. Yes, plural: dozens of courts including lower state courts, state supreme courts, federal courts, appellate courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court could be in on the action. This process may be be politicized. In states where judges are elected, theres a political element to deciding if that smudge is a vote and in federal courts, the question of who nominated the judges will be paramount. In the last three and half years, Trump has appointed, and he Republican-led Senate has confirmed, nearly a quarter of all active federal judges in the country. If the Senate confirms Trump nominee and conservative star Amy Coney Barrett to fill the seat of liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a contest heading to the High Court could only create more chaos. Finally, before we get to this ultimate nightmare scenario, a warning: the following is not something that is likely to happen. It probably wont. But it might. It could. And its only responsible to tell you that it could become a reality. Ive given you enough time to bail on this next paragraph. Read at your own peril. This is a big one: the U.S.devolves into crisis. The election results are discounted, and the matter moves from the courts and into the streets, where theres mass rioting and violence. The demonstrations that played out in 1965 and 1968, 1992 and 2014? They are nothing. This is when the finale of Christopher Nolans Dark Knight series becomes prophecy: streets packed with an uprising and violence. Its a dark idea that could become reality. Instinct tells me Americas ideals guard against this dystopia, that voters will respect the will of their neighbors, and that our democratic institutions, however weakened, remain strong enough to prevail. Pink hats and MAGA caps are one thing but insurrection is another. This dismal year has given us few facts to argue this posture. Only optimism and instinct can help here. Make sense of what matters in Washington. Sign up for the daily D.C. Brief newsletter. FSIS Office of Congressional and Public Affairs Press (202) 720-9113 FSISpress@usda.gov USDA Seeks Nominations for Membership on Food Safety Advisory Committee WASHINGTON, DC, Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is soliciting nominations for membership to the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF). There are nine vacancies on the advisory committee. Nominations are being sought for individuals with scientific expertise in the fields of microbiology, epidemiology, food technology (food, clinical, and predictive), toxicology, risk assessment, infectious disease, biostatistics, and other related sciences. USDA is also seeking nominations for one individual affiliated with a consumer group to serve on NACMCF. This member will serve as a representative member to provide a consumer viewpoint and is not required to have a scientific background. Individuals who may be currently employed by state and federal governments, industry, academia or consumer groups are invited to submit nominations. Self-nominations are welcome. Advisory committee members who are not federal government employees, except for the consumer representative member, will be appointed to serve as non-compensated, special government employees (SGE). SGEs are subject to appropriate conflict of interest statutes and standards of ethical conduct. Each member serves a two-year term that may be renewed for two additional consecutive terms at the discretion of the Secretary of Agriculture. NACMCF nominations must be addressed to the Secretary of Agriculture and accompanied by a cover letter addressing the nomination. Submissions must include a resume or curriculum vitae and a completed USDA Advisory Committee Membership Background Information form AD-755. Nomination packages must be received by November 9, 2020, and should be sent by email to john.jarosh@usda.gov or mailed to: Sonny Perdue, Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250, Attn: FSIS\OPHS\National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (John Jarosh). Established in 1988, NACMCF provides scientific advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services on the development of microbiological criteria by which the safety and wholesomeness of food can be assessed. Those who have questions about their nomination package can contact John Jarosh at 202-690-6128.To read the Federal Register notice go to https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/regulations/federal-register/federal-register-notices. ### British low-cost airline EasyJet announced on Thursday that it had chosen Malaga to open its second operations base in Spain, which would lead to the creation of around a hundred new jobs next spring. The airline is currently the third biggest at Malaga Airport in terms of passenger movement, moving almost 2.5 million people last year. Until now, Malaga was the most popular destination on our network that did not yet have a base, which is why we are very proud to be able to announce it today, said Javier Gandara, EasyJets General Manager for Southern Europe, on Thursday. Another hub in Faro (Portugal) would also be created, he said. Expected losses of 900 million euros This expansion by EasyJet comes against the backdrop of the companys financial results for the fiscal year (which ended on 30 September). In a statement to the London Stock Exchange on Thursday, EasyJet reported that it expects a gross loss of between 900 and 930 million euros - the first time in its history that it will end a year in the red. The Luton-based airline carried 50 per cent fewer passengers than in the previous period, due to a 48 per cent reduction in capacity, down to 55 million seats available. The opening of a new base in Malaga will mean that this airline will have three A320 aircraft, with a capacity to transport 156 passengers, based at the airport. In addition, it will lead to the creation of around 100 direct jobs for pilots and crew, who, the company says, will be employed on Spanish contracts. Malaga is one of the strategic summer destinations for EasyJet. Since the start of operations in the city in 1999, the airline has transported more than 36 million passengers, which places Malaga among the favourite destinations in the companys network, said Gandara. Currently, the airline connects Malaga with 18 European airports. Reinforcing the international connections that link this tourist destination with other cities of reference in terms of business and leisure tourism, such as London, Paris or Berlin, will contribute significantly to the recovery of the Spanish economy, he added. For his part, Turismo Costa del Sol president Francisco Salado described this as great news that comes at the best time. Salado said that ever since he learned that EasyJet was looking to create a new hub, we let the company know that it had the support of all the public administrations and the private sector. In those conversations, Salado also informed the airline of the Juntas proposals to provide PCR testing to open up a safe travel air bridge with the UK. European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights Maria Arena calls on the Indian government to meet its human rights commitments Press Releases 05-10-2020 - 12:42 The Chair of the European Parliamentas Subcommittee on Human Rights, Maria Arena (S&D, BE), stated on Monday 5 October 2020: aIt is with great concern that I have been observing the rule of law deteriorate in India, which is the very cornerstone of our special relationship. Marginalised communities, religious minorities, particularly Muslims, a vocal and vibrant civil society and critics of government policies have been under increasing pressure for a long time. Widespread protests over the proposed citizenship verification process and the discriminatory citizenship law amendments have resulted in arbitrary detentions and an unnecessary loss of life. Journalists and other peaceful critics continue to be arrested under draconian counter-terrorism and sedition laws, while human rights defenders are unceasingly and severely targeted by the authorities. An investigation carried out by Amnesty International India has unveiled grave human rights violations committed by the Delhi police during the February 2020 Delhi Riots. In the absence of action by Indiaas authorities since the outbreak of the violence, I strongly support the call for a prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigation into all human rights violations committed by law enforcement officials. There should also be a fully independent, public and transparent inquiry into the role of the police in failing to prevent the violence that broke out and even aiding it. Fighting impunity and promoting justice is the only way to stop and prevent police brutality. Most recently and very worryingly, Amnesty International India has been forced to announce that it is halting its work in India due to government reprisals. As a sitting member of the Human Rights Council, India has pledged to acontinue to foster the genuine participation and effective involvement of civil society in the promotion and protection of human rights.a Therefore, I call on the Indian government to meet this pledge, in a manner worthy of the global role model it aspires to be. It is high time for India to translate words into action. In this context, I also wish to call on the EU to address these concerns within the EU-India Human Rights Dialogue.a Background Recently, the UN Special Rapporteurs expressed concern over the human rights situation in India and called on the authorities to take immediate action. India is the largest democracy in the world and an important global player with which the European Union enjoys a special bilateral relationship - the 2004 EU-India Strategic Partnership is based on shared values of democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights. On the occasion of the 15th European Union a India Summit, which was held on 15 July this year, the participants endorsed the aEU-India Strategic Partnership: A Roadmap to 2025a , in which parties reaffirmed their commitment to promoting the shared values of human rights and fundamental freedoms. For further information, please contact: The office of Maria Arena, tel. +32 2 28 45690, e-mail: maria.arena-office[at]europarl.europa.eu The army chief retired on 30 September. Wat Hong Rattanaram Monastery is revered by many senior military officers. General Apirat is considered the worst enemy of recent student protests. Bangkok (AsiaNews/Agencies) General Apirat Kongsompong, the outgoing Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Army, has decided to enter a monastery for a month. In a ceremony held at the Wat Hong Rattanaram temple in Yai, a district in Bangkok, he was ordained a monk in the presence of relatives and friends, as well as military officers and police officials. General Apirat was retired upon reaching the age limit on 30 September. He had already announced that he would enter the monastery to earn merit for the late King Bhumibol and Queen Mother Sirikit. Wat Hong Rattanaram Monastery has always been revered by Thai military authorities whose top brass often visit the temple. Several generals and officers entered it as monks after retirement, including those implicated in the coup that overthrew Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's government in 2006. General Apirat became Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Army in October 2018. Several of his statements have been contentious. He has claimed to have fought against those who pretend to be far left and those who want to reform the monarchy, whom he branded as people who hate their nation. On the student protests in Bangkok, he said they were a proxy war to provoke young people to protest against the establishment and insult the monarchy. The general also accused protesters of adopting the so-called "Hong Kong model", and alleged that foreign influence was involved in student demonstrations. Because of his criticisms, the general is considered the greatest enemy of young protesters and he is often attacked in social media. Designer Presley Oldham models some of his pearl necklaces, which are available on his website. (Presley Oldham) Growing up in Texas, two things stood out to Presley Oldham about the women of the Lone Star State: their signature coiffures, best described in the well-worn saying, The higher the hair, the closer to God, and their pearl jewelry. A big deck of pearls on their necks, he said. That always fascinated me. Its only fitting that Oldham would grow up and launch an eponymous jewelry brand, which upends the fusty image of Chanel-clad socialites wearing a strand or two of smooth opalescent sea gems. After all, he is the nephew of designer Todd Oldham, who held the fashion world rapt in the 1990s with his campy and subversive take on Americana. The 25-year-old Oldham decamped from Los Angeles, where he briefly lived before the pandemic, to his grandparents ranch in Santa Fe, N.M., when the coronavirus forced large swaths of the country into shutdown. During his time in isolation he has built a jewelry business, albeit a modest one (for now), which officially launched in May. He has been hand-making necklaces, earrings and anklets from freshwater pearls of various shapes, sizes and colors. His designs highlight their peculiarities and strange allure as objects as opposed to a prim-and-proper Jackie O. fantasy. Anklets by jewelry designer Presley Oldham. (Presley Oldham) When I got to New Mexico, I went into quarantine for the first two weeks, away from my grandparents, he said by phone. I was genuinely sitting alone in this room. I had to manifest something, put the energy somewhere. It wasnt until I launched in May, when I finally got the website up, that I was like, I guess I started a business. He insists that it wasn't all some big accident. It was very intentional in a lot of senses, but I dont think I really realized how much work I put into it, until it was all up there, in my face. I was like, I really did do this. Im proud of the amount of work and energy Ive put into it. His line, which is available exclusively through his website, presleyoldham.com, is gender-neutral and has a playful feel. Take the prickly pear necklace ($365), a choker made from green iridescent freshwater pearls, featuring larger beads interspersed with smaller, dangling ones. The shugah drop earring can be ordered as a single ($45) elegant stone or in the more dramatic three-tiered version. Hes also made anklets ($90-$160), a winking throwback to the 90s, the era when his uncle reigned supreme on catwalks. I think its funny to have a pearl anklet, he said. Especially me here walking around barefoot getting it dirty. Story continues Elliott Skinner, a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based musician, met Oldham in high school. Because he hand-picks all of the elements, each piece has its own character, said Skinner, one of the models in a video that Oldham made to show his second collection. He made me a bracelet that I wear every day now, and it feels like a small extension of myself. Harry Styles wears a strand of pearls as he visits SiriusXM Studios in New York on March 2. (Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images) Although pearls have been long considered feminine accessories, men have started to reclaim them. Harry Styles, ASAP Rocky and Shawn Mendes are among a new wave of guys embracing these aquatic gems. Pearls also have been featured in the recent mens collections of brands including Gucci and Dior. At the end of the day, its still a feminine object that has this innate sensibility about it, Oldham said. That doesnt mean that men cant wear them. It adds a texture to your look a layer. Skinner agreed. Were acknowledging the constructs of gender norms, [and] a line like this is expressive for all people," he said. "Historically, pearl jewelry is very refined, each pearl looking exactly alike, but with his line, there is a sense of the organic, like it came from the sea to my arm. ASAP Rocky, wearing pearl necklaces, outside the Loewe show during Paris Fashion Week on Sept. 27, 2019. (Daniel Zuchnik / Getty Images) With his dreamy eyes, slim frame, strong brow and jawline and shoulder-length hair, Oldham is handsome and ever-so-slightly androgynous. He said some days hell wear one of his pieces with a tank top and feel muscular, like a dude, whereas other times, hell wear his jewelry with my hair down and get called maam. Oldham has been surprised at the range of customers hes already attracted. All of these different ages, people across the country, different genders, he said. Its delightful to see a 60-year-old man is ordering pearls. Ive received a lot of really wonderful emails from people like, Im an aging hippie and I love pearls. And I love what youre doing. I love that it's appealing to all people, somehow. It makes me smile. A life in fashion, it seems, was preordained for young Oldham. As his uncle Todds fashion line was making a splash in New York, it was a family affair in the Lone Star State. Oldham remembers spending his childhood days at the factory where his uncles clothing was made. Oldhams father, Brad, who's now a sculptor, was in charge of the hardware, such as buttons and jewelry. I quite literally grew up in my uncles clothing factory, Oldham said. I got to witness metalwork, the lines of people sewing and cutting patterns. That sort of visual stimulus was always around me, and it definitely impacted me a lot. Presley Oldham had his own approach to fashion, with a penchant for bright colors and bold patterns, not to mention a fondness for draping himself in fabric to mimic capes or bandeau tops. I was the odd art kid in the middle of the oil barons, he said, laughing. He remembers his peers wearing Under Armour shorts. Which I did not do, he added. Jewelry designer Presley Oldham, nephew of '90s fashion star Todd Oldham, has been staying at his grandparents' New Mexico ranch during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Presley Oldham) A love of performing took him from lip-syncing Britney Spears songs in front of his family as a child to studying theater at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. He moved to Los Angeles to put his theatrical training to good use. When he landed here last year, he worked as a production assistant for music videos; at night, he would make chains to help him unwind. Just as he began to meet with agents and start auditioning, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Instead of sticking around L.A., he hightailed it to the desert, where hes stayed in a small property or, as he calls it, a tiny home on his grandparents ranch. Suddenly with plenty of time on his hands, a new venture started to come together. Oldham has always been a collector of sorts, a habit he fine-tuned at the flea markets and swap meets of New York. It was there that he would pick up marbles or glass beads or vintage jewelry from Elsa Peretti and, of course, pearls. I definitely got an odd energy, sometimes, when buying them, he said. Like, What are you going to do with these? And I didnt know what I was going to do with them at the time. Last month, Oldham presented his second collection during New York Fashion Week, which this season was mostly virtual shows. He made a video for the collection, directed by Iranian American filmmaker Cyrus J. Stowe, featuring a diverse assortment of friends playfully dancing to a sensual neo-soul song. Decked out in Oldhams casual pearls a red-haired, mustached man in blue eyeshadow, a Rubenesque Black woman with a bleached buzz cut, a white brunette with tattoos and unshaven armpits they all blow kisses to the camera. The group featured in the video is a far cry from those Texas grand dames. We wanted to incorporate movement and positivity, said Stowe, who has known Oldham since high school, when he remembers him being voted most fashionable. We wanted it to feel contagious, to bring life and energy to your day. We wanted it to be a celebration of self-love. ... I liked that each pearl has a story and a history behind it." For now, Oldhams operation is small. He models for his own website because hes in isolation. Although retailers have come knocking, hes trying to be realistic about what hes able to do, especially with the limitations of the pandemic. Its nice to find my voice through this lens, he said. Moving to L.A., there was a lot of pressure. I have to start auditioning and make a name for myself. Blah, blah, blah. This has helped me let go of those expectations were told to believe, and being realistic about what you can do with what you have in front of you. Which isnt to say he doesnt have bigger aspirations in mind. Looking toward the future, he said he might expand into clothing. And has Uncle Todd given him his blessing? Hes been very supportive, Oldham said. He told me to do more to just go bigger. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/08/2020 -- According MarketsandMarkets Research - The Patient Lateral Transfer Market is expected to reach USD 446.2 billion by 2025 from USD 288.7 billion in 2020, at a CAGR of 9.1% during the forecast period of 2020 to 2025. Market Growth Opportunities: Growing demand of home health care services; Globally, an increasing number of government regulations are being implemented for reducing the duration and cost involved in healthcare treatments. For instance, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has implemented steps to provide incentives to healthcare providers for reducing hospitalization costs. Under this initiative, the CMS is promoting healthcare settings such as nursing homes and approaches such as home healthcare as they can provide quality care at reduced costs (as compared to the cost of hospitalization). Homecare settings are expected to account for 28.3% of the patient handling equipment market in the US. Owing to this, private nursing institutions and geriatric care homes have become highly viable end-user segments in the US. market. This will eventually increase opportunity for home healthcare services in patient lateral transfer market Browse 95 market data Tables and 36 Figures spread through 148 Pages and in-depth TOC | Request Research Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=93948116 The regular air-assisted transfer mattress segment will dominate the air-assisted lateral transfer. Based on type, the air-assisted lateral transfer mattresses market has been segmented into regular, split-leg, and half mattresses. In 2019, the regular mattresses segment accounted for the largest market share. The large share of this segment can primarily be attributed to their wide range of benefits and high usage in a variety of settings, such as critical care and emergency settings and operation theaters. Hospitals are the largest end users of patient lateral transfer market. Based on end users, segmented into hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and other end users. Hospitals accounted for the largest share of the patient lateral transfer market in 2019. This can be attributed to many patient admissions in hospitals, rising prevalence of various chronic conditions, and growing regulatory norms to use safe patient transfer equipment. Recent Developments in Industry; - In April 2020, Handicare divested its Patient Handling Europe business to Direct Healthcare Group (UK). - In February 2020, Sizewise signed an agreement with LINET (Europe). - In January 2020, MedLine acquired Medi-Select (Canada), a distributor of medical and dental supplies. - In May 2019, Handicare signed an agreement to divest its distributor of medical consumables- Puls AS to Mediq International BV Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=93948116 The patient lateral transfer market is divided into five regionsNorth America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. These regions are further analyzed at the country levels. North America held the largest share of the patient lateral transfer market in 2019, followed by Europe and the Asia Pacific. The Asia Pacific market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The Asia Pacific market is primarily driven by the increasing awareness regarding the benefits of safe patient handling, the presence of a large population base, growth in the geriatric population, and the rising prevalence of chronic diseases. Some of the prominent players in this market are Stryker Corporation (US), Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. (US), Sizewise (US), Arjo (Sweden), Haines Medical Australia (Australia), Handicare (Sweden), Medline Industries, Inc. (US), AliMed (US), and Airpal Inc. (US). New Delhi: Congress leader Jagdish Tytler on Friday told a Delhi court that CBI has not given any reason in its plea to conduct lie detection test on him in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. Tytler, who did not appear before the court personally, filed an application through his lawyer stating that the CBI plea was a gross misuse of law and it was filed with malafide intention. Arms dealer Abhishek Verma, who was also issued notice by the court on the CBI plea, appeared before the court and said he stands by his statement given to the probe agency earlier and was ready to join investigation. Advocate Maninder Singh, who represented Verma, also said CBI has not given any reason to conduct lie detection test on him and he was ready to record his statement before a magistrate unser section 164 CrPC. He also sought a weeks time to file his reply on the plea. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Shivali Sharma granted time to Verma to file his reply and listed the matter for February 23 for hearing arguments on CBIs application. Senior advocate H S Phoolka, who represented the riot victims, said Tytler had earlier given a statement to the media that he was ready to undergo lie detection test. The court had on February 8 issued notice to Tytler and Verma on CBIs plea. The case pertains to death of three Sikhs in the aftermath of the riots that broke out after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Tytler has been given a clean chit by CBI thrice in the case but the probe agency has been directed by the court to further investigate the matter. Verma has made several statements to CBI against the senior Congress leader that he allegedly pressurised witnesses in the case. During the hearing, Verma told the court he was facing threat and should be given protection. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-07 10:22:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close QUITO, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador is in talks with pharmaceutical companies to access a vaccine against the novel coronavirus once available, but there are hurdles, such as a steep initial fee, Public Health Minister Juan Carlos Zevallos said Tuesday. "We are doing everything possible so that Ecuador does not lag behind in terms of receiving vaccines and at reasonable prices," Zevallos said in an interview with a local television station. However, "there are tough requirements to meet," he added, including paying a non-refundable fee up front "regardless of how the vaccine turns out." "It puts us in a difficult situation in terms of payment commitment," which makes it difficult "to access the vaccine in a timely manner and at reasonable prices," the minister said. The amount of the fee depends on the population, but vaccines will cost 1.6 or 3.2 U.S. dollars per person, "because in most cases, there are two vaccine (shots): an initial vaccine and a reinforcement that comes later," said Zevallos. In Ecuador's case, it all adds up to "a considerable cost," since the government expects to vaccinate 10 million people in an initial phase of immunization, said the minister. Ecuador has so far reported 142,056 COVID-19 infections with 11,702 deaths. Enditem The Elite Cars, one of the leading luxury car dealerships in the UAE, has extended its reach to the UAE's capital Abu Dhabi with the opening of a new showroom. The company has made a mark in the automotive industry through its impeccable customer service and wide-range of iconic marques, said a statement. The Elite Cars' newest and prestigious state-of-the-art showroom is located at the Al Maqta area of Abu Dhabi. Housing a number of luxury vehicles from legendary car brands, The Elite Cars' showroom offers extraordinary after-sales service, great deals and prices on dream luxury cars. "With their continuous success and the constant patronage they receive from their clientele, The Elite Cars is proud and ecstatic to extend their reach to the UAE's capital Abu Dhabi, where prestige and grandeur are evident," said the statement. - TradeArabia News Service Lime might be best known for its bright green micromobility devices, or more recently, its ownership of the iconic red Jump electric bikes. But now, the company is expanding in a way that could see it "housing" numerous other micromobility brands on its own app. The Lime app, which is used by customers to find and rent its bikes and scooters, will start to include Wheels -branded electric bikes in certain cities. This winter, when a user in Austin, Berlin, Miami or Seattle opens the Lime app, nearby Wheels vehicles will automatically populate the map along with pricing information. Customers can then use the Lime app to rent a Wheels e-bike. Wheels is just the beginning. Lime plans to add more shared micromobility providers as well as expand into other markets. Wheels eBike - Image Credits: Wheels Lime said it chose Wheels to be the first to join its platform because of "Wheels unique design, and the safety and accessibility benefits it provides." Wheels, which was started by Wag founders Jonathan and Joshua Viner, has a pedal-less e-bike that is designed to be easier to use. Wheels also developed a shareable helmet system that integrates onto the bike. The helmet, which can be unlocked with a smartphone, comes with removable hygienic liner. People are demanding more shared, electric and affordable transportation options to make short trips around their cities, Lime CEO Wayne Ting said in a statement. In the near future, Lime will be the one-stop-shop for anyone looking to take a car-free trip under five miles. Were excited to launch a platform that offers riders even more options given the vast and growing demand for alternative modes of urban transportation. The move isn't signaling acquisition plans. Wheels will continue to be its own company. Instead, Viner, who is Wheels' CEO, said partnering with Lime to be included on its app supports the company mission to ensure that everyone has access to safe micromobility options. Story continues Given that Lime is the largest provider of shared micromobility services, were excited to partner with it in advancing our mission," Viner said. Wheels vehicles will also continue to be available for use on the Wheels app. Nell Plaine had been a poll worker the last five years, but on the cusp of her 74th birthday, she decided against working Election Day. At greater risk because of her age, the Bronxville, New York, woman has tried to minimize her exposure to COVID-19. A friend died earlier this year due to the virus. Our whole family has been very serious about all of the restrictions, she said. We have not gone out much at all. Richard Willson of Hagertown, Maryland, offered the same sentiment. He has seen working at the polls the past 12 years as a way to live out his dedication to democratic principles. But not this year. I felt that being an election judge in an in-person election was an unsafe practice, Willson said. Im in reasonably good health, but at 73 years old, Im definitely in one of those categories of people that should take extra precautions. Across the country, particularly in parts of the hard-hit Northeast, local boards of elections have struggled to find workers this fall to man polling sites amid the pandemic. It has led states to expand call outs for more poll watchers, efforts that have included sending out postcards and social media alerts to encourage people to sign up to help. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he would call up the National Guard if need be to help at the polls. More: Not old enough to vote, but old enough to help: How teens are helping to avert an election crisis In other states, election boards had to cut down on the number of voting sites to address the shortage. In Delaware, the state is still recruiting for about 700 of the roughly 3,200 positions it needs to fill before voting starts for president and other state races. New York said it has about 70% of the workers it will need outside New York City for Election Day. Its been a little more challenging this year, Delaware Elections Commissioner Anthony Albence said. Weve been doing other, additional areas of recruitment in addition to what we normally do. Story continues The call for poll workers, which are paid positions, has produced something else, though: more younger people willing to step up to help in a crucial presidential election. And others said they are willing to take the risk of being at the polls which will be heavily sanitized along with other COVID safety steps in order to ensure a fair election so everyone's vote is counted. In Pennsylvania, one of the nation's battlegrounds, York County voting technology coordinator Casey Brady said his county has about 450 new poll worker applicants waiting in the wings. Some counties, such as Philadelphia, might be struggling to attract workers, but Brady said thats not the case in York. Comparatively, weve got an embarrassment of riches, he said. Although COVID-19 continues to affect daily life, Brady said there has been a return to some normalcy in Pennsylvania and that includes the election. Were in much better shape than the spring, he said. The hunt for poll workers The USA TODAY Network Atlantic Group canvassed New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware on whether it will be able to meet the demands at the polls this year. States offered mixed responses. With an expected record number of absentee ballots due to COVID-19, elections officials across the region said, in some cases, they are doing fine with getting enough poll watchers. But others said challenges remain, particularly as they will need to hire more workers than usual to help sanitize each machine and equipment between uses and have other staff make sure voters are keeping socially distanced when they arrive. They also could be record voting that, even with more absentee ballots, could make election sites more busy than usual. Westchester County in New York usually has about 4,500 poll workers on Election Day every year, but may need another 500 this year, said Democratic elections commissioner Reggie LaFayette. So far, about 3,600 people signed up. More: Talks to update Pennsylvania's mail-in voting law show signs of life among statehouse Republicans Im concerned because people being afraid to work, LaFayette said. Once selected, candidates in New York go through a 3-hour certification and a one-hour orientation class. Potential workers are paid $25 to attend the in-person classes. In New Jersey, the 2020 elections have been plagued by problems like duplicate ballots, alleged voter fraud and ballots burning in a mail truck fire. Workers check the labels and ballots at the Dutchess County Board of Elections in Poughkeepsie Oct. 1, 2020. But finding poll workers is not one of them. Election officials said counties have been flooded with requests, with applicants far outnumbering the number of positions that need to be filled. Were getting a ton of interest, said Jamie Sheehan-Willis, chair of the Bergen County Board of Elections. Everybody wants to be a poll worker. In states where more poll workers are needed, elections officials encouraged them to call their local boards. New Jersey needs fewer workers because it plans to limit in-person voting and have fewer election sites, which Gov. Phil Murphy has said is vital to curbing the spread of the coronavirus. Hudson County, with 395,095 voters, normally uses up to 4,600 poll workers to staff its roughly 400 polling places. This year, with only about 100 polling places open, they only need 3,200 workers. Still, the number of poll workers isnt going down in proportion to the number of polling places, officials said, because they are hiring more poll workers per location. Voting machines will only be available to voters with disabilities. Other voters who show up at the polls to vote on Election Day must fill out provisional ballots, which require more time to explain and fill out and thus more workers. I dont think Im panicked about anything, said Dorene Mandity, the elections director in Beaver County, Pa., said when it comes to having enough workers. "Right now, I feel good." More: All of your questions about voting in the Nov. 3 NJ election, answered here More: Why a Rochester printer that sent mislabeled ballots to NYC is now defending itself Why some poll workers are taking the risk Masks, socially distancing and stepped up sanitizing will happen at polling places to guard against COVID, elections officials said. The precautions have made some poll watchers feel safe ahead of doing the job this year, which includes making sure people sign in correctly to vote and answering any questions. Election boards will be the ones to ensure no votes are double counted and no one is voting by both absentee and in person. Polls need to have an equal amount of registered Democrats and Republicans. In Monroe County near Rochester, one postcard to Republicans read: "WE NEED REPUBLICANS to ensure a fair and honest Election on November 3rd! Do your part! Sign up to work at the Polls!" It worked: The county has gotten enough workers after having a shortage a few weeks ago. Sarah Lazzari from Hartsdale, New York, is a first time election poll worker in Westchester County. Here she is pictured at her home, Oct. 1, 2020. In Westchester, Sarah Lazzari got a postcard and dismissed the idea right away. But after further consideration, she said she felt compelled to step up. Realizing older poll workers might fear working this year, the healthy 38-year-old with said it was her civic duty. She's never done it before. It was just necessary, they need people, Lazzari, of Greenburgh, said. I dont have any underlying health conditions. I should be one of those people whos stepping up. She said her only concern on Election Day is if there are people who attempt to vote without masks on or wear it incorrectly. Kalicha Cameron, 43, of Nanuet, Rockland County, has been a poll worker for a decade, and she will do it again this year, saying she feels comfortable after working during the New York primary in June. "We took safety measures. They give us gloves, they gave a new pen to each voter, they give us sanitizers, wipes and masks, Cameron said. Kalicha Cameron of Nanuet, N.Y. has been a poll worker on election day for the last ten years. Cameron, photographed Sept. 30., 2020, will be working at the polls for the upcoming presidential election. She will be working numerous days, both for early voting and on election day. The poll site didnt allow voters without masks. They had a box of masks ready for those who came without wearing face coverings and they needed them. So many of the voters did not have a mask. We kept giving them a mask and we had like a pack of 50 and all 50 were gone, she said. I was like, why are so many people coming out without their masks? Cameron, a mental health therapy aide at the Rockland Psychiatric Center, said she was not worried about getting sick herself working the polls. We are taking all the precautions, she said. More: Tracking coronavirus cases in Delaware More: Should votes mailed on Election Day be counted? Delaware court to decide Concerns at the polls and safety steps Elections officials are concerned about the safety of their workers and voters as Nov. 3 nears. COVID-19 infection rates have started to grow in some communities, including in the lower Hudson Valley in New York. And Election Day is still weeks away. In Maryland, local elections officials warned the state Board of Elections in August that an impending election judge shortage constituted an emergency situation. The state at that time was short nearly 15,000 election judges, and local boards said they would not be able to staff the full roster of polling places. So the state drastically cut the number of voting locations. Now, instead of the usual 1,600 polling places, Maryland will have more than 300 vote centers large, central locations where any registered voter in that jurisdiction can cast a ballot. The change worked. Maryland now has enough election judges to staff all of the vote centers and early voting locations, said David Garreis, president of the Maryland Association of Election Officials. Gov. Larry Hogan, who initially wanted all of the states polling places to be open on Election Day, has encouraged state employees to work as election judges by offering administrative leave for each day of service, and reached out to colleges and universities in an effort to recruit more judges. Becky Parma of Ingram, Pa. will be working at her local polling place on Election Day. Nikki Charlson, the deputy administrator of the state Board of Elections, said the state saw a huge outpouring of offers of assistance from voters after calls went out for more election judges. The local boards of elections have enough election judges to fully staff all of the vote centers and have a nice, healthy bench from which to pull if they need to, Charlson said. One person serving there is Marilyn Ashcraft, who has been working as an election judge since the 90s. The 68-year-old from Washington County, Maryland, said she has no reservations about going to the polls. I thought, well, they would probably need people now more than ever, she said. Theres always been a shortage of people that would work. Weve never had extra people. Ashcraft feels its important to offer in-person voting as an option. To actually have places for people to go and physically vote, its more assuring to everybody, she said. More: Maryland plans to open fewer polling places. What does that mean for rural voters? Despite COVID, new election workers sign up York County resident Jessica Buck, 79, is in her 14th year as a judge of elections in Shrewsbury, Pa.. She's more concerned about confusion among voters over provisional and mail-in ballots than coronavirus-related issues. I dread it, she said. I really dread it. Becky Parme, a 61-year-old Allegheny County resident in Pennsylvania, had signed up earlier this year to be a poll worker, but was wavering because her husband is battling pancreatic cancer and other health issues. Im really torn. I want to, said Parme, an Ingram resident. I really want to be there and see whats going on. She too talked about her concerns over the high emotions and voter confusion that will likely heighten the tension in polling places, as well as voters who might show up armed. Do I want to have to put up with that? she said. But Parme has ultimately decided to do it, citing reports about Republican-controlled legislatures, such as Pennsylvania's, trying to exert oversight over election results. "This craziness made up my mind to work the polls," she said. Cara Gaudino, 40, is working the polls in November in Delaware for the first time in about 20 years. A mother of two, shes usually pretty busy on Election Day taking care of her kids who are off from school and also making time to go vote. Cara Gaudino of Pike Creek, Del., will be working on election day at a polling station. This will be the first election day poll work the mother of two has undertaken. But when she heard that the state had a shortage of poll workers because a big population of the workforce are senior citizens, she decided, Well, somebodys gotta do it. Its not really fair for them to be out there right now ... taking on the burden and exposing themselves, Gaudino said. Im happy to do it. I think its going to be a long day, but a really important job. Shell be filling in for people like Marj Johnson, a 79-year-old North Wilmington, Delaware, resident who has been working the polls since she retired in 2006. In a normal year, Johnson sees the job as an obligation in the democratic process. But last spring, when the virus just became rampant, she made the hard decision to sit this year out. While she lives alone, she has family close by. I just didnt want to risk that health issue, for myself or for them, Johnson said. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy covers women and power for the USA Today Network Northeast. Click here for her latest stories. Follow her on Twitter at @SwapnaVenugopal or email her at svenugop@lohud.com Madeleine O'Neill covers the Maryland State House for the USA TODAY Network. She can be reached at moneill@gannett.com or on Twitter at @maddioneill. Joseph Spector is the New York state editor for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at JSPECTOR@Gannett.com or followed on Twitter: @GannettAlbany Sarah Gamard is a state government reporter for the News Journal in Delaware. She can be reached at sgamard@delawareonline.com or followed on Twitter at @SarahGamard Terrence McDonald covers New Jersey state government for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at mcdonaldt@northjersey.com This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Election 2020: Northeast states are struggling to find poll workers 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. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close US President Donald Trump returns to the White House from Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre on 5 October 05, 2020 in Washington, DC (Getty Images) President Donald Trump has suggested that he might have contracted coronavirus from Gold Star family members. Gold Star families are the relatives of US military personnel who died in battle, and on Thursday, president Trump suggested that he may have caught Covid-19 while listening to them talk about their late relatives, according to Politico. During an interview with Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo on Thursday, president Trump said that he figured there would be a chance of becoming infected, after meeting with some Gold Star families. He said: Sometimes, Id be in groups of, for instance, Gold Star families. I met with Gold Star families. I didnt want to cancel that. But they all came in, and they all talk about their son and daughter and father. And, you know, they all came up to me, and they tell me a story. More follows Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-09 00:04:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Tourist attractions across China received a total of 637 million visits during the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday from Oct. 1 to 8, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said on Thursday. The figure represents 79 percent of the visits made during the same holiday last year on a comparable basis. Tourism revenue reached 466.56 billion yuan (about 68.5 billion U.S. dollars), a recovery of 69.9 percent of the revenue gained in the same period in 2019, according to the ministry. China celebrates its National Day on Oct. 1. This year the week-long holiday is extended to Oct. 8 as the Mid-Autumn Festival also fell on Oct. 1 this year. According to statistics from China's major e-commerce platform Meituan, tourism consumption recovered on the whole during the eight-day holiday, with Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xi'an, and Chongqing being the top five cities in terms of tourism consumption activity. An increasing number of tourists chose to spend several days taking in-depth tours of one city during the holiday, according to a big data report released by online travel agency Ctrip. The report also highlighted the improvement of reservation service at scenic spots as required for epidemic control. Enditem The Ukrainian-Indonesian company Pravitna genius sel in partnership with the Canadian company Immunitor (Vancouver) plans to launch pharmaceutical production in Kyiv region by the end of the year. Freddy Cahyono, the CEO of Pravitna genius sel, told Interfax-Ukraine that the respective agreement of intent was signed on October 7 by the representatives of the companies with the participation of the Indonesian Embassy in Ukraine. Pravitna genius sel's investments in launching production in Kyiv region amounted to about $1 million. By the end of 2020, the company plans to obtain a GMP certificate. One of the first drugs, the production of which is planned by Pravitna genius sel, will be a drug that will stimulate the immune system, which will not only treat diseases, but also prevent their occurrence. For the production of the drug, Canadian raw materials will be used. Freddy Cahyono noted that the drug, which will be produced in Ukraine, is to be exported abroad, in particular to Indonesia. By the end of the year, the company intends to register the medicine in Ukraine. In turn, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Ukraine Yuddy Chrisnandi noted the high export potential of the drugs produced in Ukraine. "These drugs will be able to be used not only in Ukraine, but throughout the world, including in Indonesia. I hope that they will contribute to the fight against epidemics," he said. TODAYS WORD is babooshka, from the Kate Bush song by the same name: "She wanted to test her husband / She knew exactly what to do / A pseudonym to fool him / She couldn't have made a worse move ... All yours / Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya!" Kate Bush has released 26 UK Top 40 singles. THURSDAYS WORD was laud, from the hymn "Onward Christian Soldiers," suggested by Betty J. Kanipe: (fourth stanza) "Onward, then ye people; Join our happy throng. / Blend with ours your voices / in the triumph song. / Glory, laud, and honor / unto Christ the King." Laud means to praise highly, especially in public context. Bill Nye the Familiar Guy OK, so Bill Nye the Science Guy isn't local -- but he sure is in a lot of homes these days, thanks to teachers' assignments during virtual learning. That's got folks talking about him, bringing up that his sister, Susan Nye, and his niece, Jaquie Coleman Marshall, live in Danville, with many local people calling them friends. "Bill Nye the Science Guy" is a half-hour. live science program that originally was syndicated by Walt Disney Television from 1993 to 1998 and was on PBS from 1994 to 1999. It had more than 100 episodes. The popular show was (and, apparently, still is) well-regarded. It has won 19 Emmy Awards and was nominated for four more. In these months, it is assigned by many local science teachers for students to watch at home during online learning, and many parents who watched it as children are seeing it again now with their own kids. Nye, now 65, also had a Netflix show, "Bill Nye Saves the World," from 2017 to 2018, and he has taught science on various other shows. He started his career as a mechanical engineer for Boeing Corp. in Seattle. He got into comedy after he won a Steve Martin lookalike contest in 1978. How many of you recall a similar show, "Mr. Wizard," with Don Herbert, that aired 1983-1991? Blood drive Appointments are being made now for a Red Cross blood drive that will be staged at the end of the month. Horsepasture Christian Church in Ridgeway will host the blood drive from 1 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 29. To schedule an appointment, call 800-733-2767 (800-RED-CROSS) or visit RedCrossBlood.org. THURSDAYS TRIVIA ANSWER: The theme song for the 1970s show "All in the Family" -- Those Were the Days" -- ranked No. 30 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart in 1972. "Take a little Sunday spin. / Go to watch the Dodgers win. / Have yourself a dandy day / that cost you under a fin. / Hair was short and skirts were long. / Kate Smith really sold a song. / I don't know just what went wrong. / Those were the days." TODAYS TRIVIA QUESTION: There was a more famous song called "Those Were the Days." Which singer is known for it and when? The Stroller appreciates readers calling or emailing to share jokes, stories, comments, Words of the Day and trivia questions. Were at 276-638-8801 ext. 243 and stroller@martinsvillebulletin.com. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 14:15:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- China will see a surge in train trips on Thursday as an eight-day national holiday draws to a close, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. On Thursday, 13 million train trips are expected, and 1,234 additional trains have been put into operation to handle the spike in trips involving tourism and family visits. China's daily train trips had exceeded 10 million for eight consecutive days by Wednesday, the railway operator said. China celebrates its National Day on Oct. 1, and the weeklong holiday this year has been extended to Oct. 8 as it overlapped with the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional festival symbolizing family reunion that falls on Aug. 15 on the lunar calendar. Enditem The Church of England Pensions Board divested this week all its shares in ExxonMobil since the U.S. supermajor has failed to set targets to cut Scope 3 emissionsthose generated by the products it sellsa spokesperson for the board told Bloomberg on Thursday. The Church of England Pensions Board, which manages more than US$3.62 billion (2.8 billion British pounds) in assets, has been one of Exxons shareholders that has consistently called on the oil giant to report emissions and provide a pathway to reduce emissions from its operations and the products it sells to customers. Exxon failed to meet the index criteria which embeds the latest assessment by the Transition Pathway Initiative (TPI), and as a result the board is disinvested from Exxon, the spokesperson for the board told Bloomberg. While European oil majors have started to report the so-called Scope 3 emissions and have committed to reduce them over the next decades, Exxon hasnt done that, drawing criticism from its investors, including the Church Commissioners for England and BlackRock. BlackRock, for example, pushed for more climate action and transparency at Exxon and Chevron, after the worlds biggest asset manager said earlier this year that it would place sustainability at the center of its investment approach. As we have discussed during our most recent conversations with Exxon Mobil Corporation (Exxon), we continue to see a gap in the companys disclosure and action with regard to several components of its climate risk management, BlackRock said in its rationale for voting contrary to Exxons boards recommendations at its shareholders meeting this year. After Exxons meeting, Edward Mason, Head of Responsible Investment for the Church Commissioners for England, said: Exxon needs to join its peers and set out a strategy for transition to net zero emissions. Investors will not tolerate a board that is not capable of steering a course consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The city leaders of Fresno, California, USA joined the local Armenian community Wednesday in a call to end the violence in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone and to take restraining measures against Azerbaijan and Turkey, yourcentralvalley.com reported. As a show of solidarity, the national flag of Armenia was raised outside Fresno City Hall. Whether were here, or in Armenia, were connected, said Fresno Mayor-elect Jerry Dyer. Were connected through the people that live here. When that flag is here, I think that demonstrated our solidarity here in Fresno, that we do stand with the Armenian people. That we recognize the atrocities they have gone through in the past, and that theyre going through today. City leaders are calling on US President Donald Trump to denounce the aggression from Azerbaijan and Turkey. James Helm Sr, 76, and his wife Sandra Helm, 70 ((New York State Police)) Five men allegedly hoping to recover a large quantity of cocaine, have been accused of kidnapping the grandparents of an associate and transporting them to Canada to hold hostage. Five men from Quebec, George Distas, 79, Kosmas Dritsas, 49, Taylor Martin, 36, Franco D'Onofrio, 55, and Gary Arnold, 45, were arrested last Tuesday in connection with the kidnapping, alongside Graigory Brown, 50, from Plattsburgh, New York. All of them are facing charges of kidnapping, forcible confinement and extortion for allegedly abducting James Helm Sr, 76, and his wife Sandra Helm, 70, from Moira, New York, and holding them hostage in Canada. The couple were abducted from their home on Sunday 27 September and were then taken to Canada, where they were held for two days, according to US authorities. The abduction was discovered on Monday 28 September, when Mr Helm did not turn up to work as the towns highway superintendent, a job he has had for 12 years. After one of the couples sons went to their house and found the door forcibly opened, he called the local police and they checked surveillance footage from a camera near the home. The footage showed Mr Brown arriving at their house in a pickup truck late on Sunday. A trace of Mr Helms mobile phone showed that the couple were then driven through the Akwesasne Mohawk reservation near the border with Canada, before they then eventually left the country. On Monday, the couples son who first alerted the police, received a call from someone who called themselves, Co-Conspirator A, who said that he and his associates had kidnapped his parents. They said that the suspects would exchange the couple for the 110lbs of cocaine that they believed Individual-1 was in possession of, or for $3.5m (2.7m). Although the authorities did not specify who Individual-1 is, the Mail reported that the couples grandson Macenzie Helm, 28, and his mother, Michelle Helm, were arrested in Vermont by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) a week prior to the kidnapping. Story continues They reported that the mother and son were arrested while transporting a duffel bag of cocaine for a large organisation, but because it was not publicly reported, the suspects did not know the cocaine had been seized by the DEA. Both Macenzie and Michelle pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine last week, and the mother has been released on bail, pending trial, according to NBC 5. The kidnapped couples son continued to receive phone calls and texts from the suspects throughout Monday, and the authorities were able to trace their location through the mobile phones used in the communication. On Tuesday, the Quebec provincial police then found the house the couple were being held hostage at, and officers arrested five men between the ages of 36 and 75. The couple were found safe and sound in the house, town supervisor and family friend Justus Martin, told WWNY-TV. He added: My understanding from the family is that theyre shook up, but doing fine. Read more Joe Montana, wife block attempted kidnapping of grandchild Rapist swallows poison pill in court moments after being found guilty Troubling details about the shooting of Breonna Taylor, mounting calls for a new special prosecutor in the case and an ongoing effort by a grand juror to be allowed to speak publicly all signal that the case didnt end with the grand jury report on Sept. 23. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced that day that a grand jury had declined to bring homicide charges against the Louisville police officers Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, Detective Myles Cosgrove and now fired Officer Brett Hankison who shot into Taylors apartment in March. The grand jurors indicted Hankison for allegedly endangering the occupants of a neighboring apartment who were in the line of fire, although they were not hit. The truth is now before us, Cameron said. The facts have been examined, and a grand jury comprised of our peers and fellow citizens has made a decision. But in the weeks following that decision, the grand jury recordings and the investigative file into the shooting have been released. An anonymous grand jury member is asking a judge for permission to speak freely about the proceedings. And a petition with more than 8,000 signatures is calling on Cameron, whose office took over the case in May after the local prosecutor recused himself, to step away from the case. The [grand jury] did not determine that anyone was justified in killing Breonna, Lonita Baker, an attorney for Taylors mother, Tamika Palmer, said on Facebook. I pray that more jurors get attorneys and come forward because what happened during these proceedings and Daniel Camerons press conferences has truly been a miscarriage of justice. I want an independent special prosecutor to present charges on behalf of Breonna to a grand jury. Camerons office did not respond to a list of questions from Yahoo News. Breonna Taylor. (Handout) A Kentucky judge is expected to rule soon on whether the anonymous member of the grand jury can talk publicly about the proceedings, which under ordinary circumstances is illegal. Legal experts have said the request is almost unprecedented. Story continues The anonymous juror filed a request for a declaratory action seeking clarification from a judge on their rights in Jefferson County last week, according to the jurors attorney, Kevin Glogower. We posed it to the court as: Attorney General Camerons office has indicated they dont want grand jurors to speak out, Glogower told Yahoo News. Obviously our client has that desire, and we feel like other grand jurors may also have a desire to speak out. But theyre not going to do that until they know what those rights are, because we do have a rule here in Kentucky that that stuff is secret. A juror who discloses information about the secret proceedings can be charged with contempt of court, which can result in up to six months of jail time. Nobody really wants to wade out into those waters without really knowing what they can do, Glogower said. A local activist in Louisville, Christopher 2X, who leads the organization Game Changers, told Yahoo News that a second grand juror had approached him about also speaking out on the proceedings. Glogower acknowledged that a second person wants to come forward but said his legal team is not currently representing that juror. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron addresses the media following the return of a grand jury investigation into the death of Breonna Taylor, Sept. 23. (Timothy D. Easley/AP) In a statement Wednesday, Cameron said he has no problem with a grand juror sharing thoughts about his office or the case, but said he has concerns with a grand juror seeking to make anonymous and unlimited disclosures about the grand jury proceedings. Cameron filed a motion opposing the jurors request. The motion argues that the proceedings and testimony before a grand jury are required by law to remain secret, Cameron said. The motion also points out that the anonymous grand juror does not seek to limit the scope of his or her disclosures. This type of broad and unchecked disclosure could jeopardize not only witnesses and other grand jurors but also set a dangerous legal precedent for future grand juries. The juror said in their motion that they disagreed with how Cameron characterized the outcome of the proceedings, implying that the grand jury weighed and rejected the option of charging the officers with homicide. It wasnt until after the juror sought the release of the grand jury recordings that Cameron revealed to local news outlet WDRB that his office didnt present homicide charges to the panel, despite earlier saying the grand jury agreed that Mattingly and Cosgrove were justified in the return of deadly fire. Kenneth Walker, the boyfriend of Breonna Taylor. (AP) The jurors motion, filed by Glogower, asked the court to compel the release of the grand jury proceedings. A judge granted the request last week, and Cameron released a redacted recording of the recordings, with no transcript, last Friday. The recordings included testimony by the three officers directly involved in the raid on Taylors apartment; by Taylors boyfriend, Kenneth Walker; by Jeff Fogg, an investigator in the attorney generals Department of Criminal Investigations; and others. In the recordings, Fogg told the jury that the officers executed a valid search warrant, despite issues with the warrant that are detailed in the investigative file from the Louisville Metro Police Departments Public Integrity Unit. Theres other issues related to the warrants that were not getting into too much here, Fogg told the panel. The officers were executing a valid search warrant. The officers that served this warrant were acting in good faith. The warrant stemmed from suspicions that Taylor was holding packages for her former boyfriend, who was suspected of drug dealing. But according to the investigative report, the detective who wrote the affidavit for the warrant was told that suspicious packages were not being received at the home, and the report says the information on the affidavit was misleading. Breonna Taylor. Taylor, 26, was killed after officers executed a no-knock warrant at her residence while she and Walker were sleeping. Officers said they knocked and announced their presence, but Walker said both he and Taylor repeatedly asked who was at the door and received no response. As police breached the apartment, Walker, who had a licensed firearm, told investigators he let off one shot, believing they were intruders, according to the grand jury recordings. All of a sudden theres a whole lot of shots, Walker said. And we both just dropped to the ground and the gun fell. Im scared to death. Were both on the ground. Im panicking. Shes right there on the ground, bleeding. Shes bleeding and nobodys coming. The episode, according to the three officers account, was a chaotic blaze of gunfire, during which the officer who fired the fatal shot, Cosgrove, did not seem to realize that hed hit Taylor, according to the recordings. Cosgrove said he experienced tunnel vision and loss of hand sensation when he fired his gun, according to the investigative report. Tamika Palmer, right, the mother of Breonna Taylor, at a news conference on Sept. 25, in Louisville, Ky., in wake of a grand jurys decision not to bring homicide charges in Taylors death. (Darron Cummings/AP) An FBI investigation into the shooting is ongoing. If the members of the grand jury are allowed to talk about their experience during the proceedings, their perspectives could potentially address allegations that Camerons office failed to pursue the case against the officers vigorously. Cameron has rejected those assertions. This has been a case thats moved at a speed that nobodys seen before, Glogower, who represents the anonymous juror, told Yahoo News. Part of what were tasked with is sounding that alarm, [saying,] Look, theres more to the story. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: 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 Soule said this years candidates have encouraged early voting. Everybody is sending out requests to people, theyve been getting 10 to 12 requests for ballots, she said. The candidates, the parties, the different civic groups everyone is pushing absentee voting, and so youre going to see more absentee voting. I believe that absentee voting is perfectly safe, she added. We count every ballot that comes in here so long as there isnt a problem with it, and if there is we contact the voter and try to get it remedied before the election. Soule said Iowas method is secure. Instead of mailing a ballot to every person registered to vote, even if that person might have changed their address since registering, every citizen of Iowa must request an absentee ballot in order to assure that it goes to the right person and place. She encourages residents to get their ballots in as soon as possible. If they are mailed, they must be postmarked by Nov. 2 in order to be counted. People also can drop their ballots off at the auditor's office until the polls close on Election Day. 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 Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 21:04:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Video: U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris went toe to toe in their sole debate as part of the 2020 race in Salt Lake City, Utah on Wednesday night. (Xinhua) Throughout the debate, appearing much less rancorous than Trump's first matchup with 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden late last month, both Harris and Pence dodged multiple questions. WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris went toe to toe in their sole debate as part of the 2020 race in Salt Lake City, Utah on Wednesday night, as both dodged questions key to the election. The opponents, both of whom tested negative earlier in the day, were seated with a distance and two plexiglass barriers between them, debating vigorously on a broad range of issues, including COVID-19, vaccines, economy, health care, climate change, trade and foreign policies, Supreme Court, and racial justice, while defending their running mates. Harris hammered U.S. President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic that has infected more than 7.5 million individuals, including himself, and killed some 211,000 in the United States. "The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country," the U.S. senator from California said. "They've had to sacrifice far too much because of the incompetence of this administration." As head of the White House coronavirus task force, Pence went on defense by alleging that the public have been given the information needed to deal with the public health crisis. "The American people have demonstrated over the last eight months -- they've been given the facts, they're willing to put the health of their families and their neighbors and people they don't even know first," the vice president said. "President Trump and I have great confidence in the American people and their ability to take that information and put it into practice." The 61-year-old former governor of Indiana and U.S. congressman told Harris to "stop playing politics with people's lives" when the Democrat called into question the administration's push for the approval of COVID-19 vaccines by the Nov. 3 election. "If Dr. Fauci, if the doctors tell us that we should take it, I'll be the first in line to take it. Absolutely," Harris said earlier, referring to Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the nation's top infectious expert. "But if Donald Trump tells us to take it, I'm not taking it." Photo taken in Arlington, Virginia, the United States, on Oct. 7, 2020 shows C-SPAN live stream of U.S. Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris (L) and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence (R) attending their sole debate as part of the 2020 presidential race in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) A DODGEBALL BATTLE Throughout the debate, appearing much less rancorous than Trump's first matchup with 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden late last month, both Harris and Pence dodged multiple questions. For her part, Harris, aged 55 and the first woman of color on a major party presidential ticket, evaded Pence's question about whether a Biden administration would seek to add seats to the nine-justice Supreme Court if Trump pushes through the nomination of conservative appellate judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a liberal icon. "This is a classic case of, if you can't win by the rules, you're going to change the rules," Pence said, asking Harris directly if she and Biden were "going to pack the Supreme Court to get your way?" Harris did not give a straight answer, instead arguing that the Senate, where Republicans have a majority, should not move forward with Barrett's confirmation, which would tilt the high court further to the right, before Election Day. "So, Joe and I are very clear, the American people are voting right now. And it should be their decision about who will serve on this most important body for a lifetime," she said, pointing to Supreme Court Justices' tenure. Pence, in his turn, ducked a question asked by moderator and USA Today Washington bureau chief Susan Page on whether Trump, who's trailing Biden in national polls, would accept the results of the election if he loses. "If we have a free and fair election, we know we're going to have confidence in it, and I believe in my heart that President Trump will be reelected for four more years," Pence responded. Trump has refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose the race and has repeatedly claimed that mail-in voting, which many states have expanded so as to allow people to vote safely during the pandemic, would lead to massive voter fraud, despite arguments from election pundits that there is no evidence supporting the allegation. Empty chairs sit on the Ellipse near the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Oct. 4, 2020. Twenty thousand empty chairs were set up near the White House on Sunday to mourn the more than 200,000 lives lost in United States from COVID-19. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) In addition to the episodes, neither of the vice presidential candidates answered when asked if they'd had discussions about safeguards and procedures if Trump, 74, or Biden, 77, were to become incapacitated in the White House. Trump, who tweeted out several video clips of the Pence-Harris matchup, wrote that he thinks his deputy "WON BIG," while Biden, in his tweet, said that Harris had "made us all proud tonight." More Americans said the Democrat did a better job in the debate, according to a CNN Instant Poll of registered voters who watched. The presidential candidates met for their first encounter in the 2020 race in Cleveland, Ohio on Sept. 29, two days before the incumbent tested positive for COVID-19. Biden has undergone at least four tests since Trump's diagnosis with all results returning negative. Their next face-off was scheduled for Oct. 15 in Miami, Florida, Trump's home state and a key battleground in this election. Biden said Tuesday the debate should not be held if Trump, who's recuperating from COVID-19 at the White House after a three-day hospitalization, still has the virus. Trump, however, has made clear that he wants to have the next debate with Biden, despite that the White House is grappling with a coronavirus outbreak that has also infected a growing number of individuals, including first lady Melania Trump, the president's aides, allies on Capitol Hill, and journalists covering the administration. White House physician Sean Conley said Wednesday that Trump's "physical exam and vital signs, including oxygen saturation and respiratory rate, all remain stable and in normal range." "He's now been fever-free for more than 4 days, symptom-free for over 24 hours, and has not needed nor received any supplemental oxygen since initial hospitalization," Conley disclosed, adding that Trump's lab results from Monday "demonstrated detectable levels" of COVID-19 antibodies. Pakistan: Biofloc fish farming promises high economic returns, ensures food security by Muhammad Atif Ismail October 08,2020 | Source: Eye Pakistan Biofloc fish farming is a modern concept of high density fish rearing. It not only is a profit generating business but also helps to resolve the challenge of food security. Both, the rich as well as the poor can rear fish easily because of extremely low operational cost. In Biofloc fish farming, the fish are nurtured in a water tank, made of turbulence sheet, which is easily available in the market. Fish seeds are put into the water tank. Similarly, probiotic (a kind of bacteria) is also mixed in the water. It is a low cost procedure in which toxic materials of the fish such as Ammonia, Nitrate, and Nitrite can be converted into feed. The probiotic in the tank consumes ammonia and converts it into protein. Thus, the fish in the tank use this protein as feed. Actually, the principle of this technique is to recycle nutrients. Biofloc helps in cleaning the culture water of the fish while giving an additional source of feed. It is a sustainable and eco-friendly process. It also helps save water. Vice Chancellor Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture Multan (MNS-UAM) Dr Asif Ali told APP, Biofloc fish farming was very much beneficial as it helped save water. Similarly, it was a highly economical and handsome source of income for the poor also he said and added, citizens could rear fish at homes and enjoy protein rich feed throughout the year. It is also a source of recreation for women and kids. Oftenly, people make aquariums at their homes for beautification purposes. However, Biofloc fish farming culture will serve them in both ways, beautification as well as provision of highly nutritious and economical fish. Asif observed that MNS-UAM introduced Biofloc fish farming with an aim to promote it across the region. The concept was also vital to address the issue of poverty in the region. Many people had contacted varsity for seeking information about Biofloc fish farming, noted Dr Asif. Project In-charge Biofloc Fish Farming and lecturer MNS-UAM Nabeel Ikraam talking to APP remarked that varsity made a water tank of 12 feet diameter with 4.6 feet depth. About 500 fish seeds and 200 gram of probiotic were added in the water tank. He stated that fish rearing was heading forward successfully in the water tank. To a question about fish feed, he observed that probiotics consume ammonia, which was released by the fish. These probiotics replicate in good numbers and also become a source of feed for the fish, Similarly, floated feed, made of corn flour and soybean seed was also put into water tanks in low quantities; About 200 grams of floated feed is enough for the tank, he noted. About the cost of tank and biofloc fish farming, he informed that varsity spent Rs 83,000 on the project. He maintained that the operational cost of the biofloc fish farming was very low. The citizens will have to bear expenses for the first time because of construction of water tanks. However, fish seeds and its feed is available in meagre amounts, he clarified. We did not change the water of the tank, Nabeel said and added, minor level contamination, which remained at the bottom of the tank is drained out with one litre of water only. Nabeel Ikram also informed them that they were rearing Tilapia fish in the water tank. About any threat of disease, the lecturer maintained that they used to check PH of the water on a daily basis. Similarly, they also monitored TDS (total dissolved salts). For PH and TDS inspection, the instruments are easily available in general markets, he added. Another student namely Usama from the Department of Agronomy is also assisting the Biofloc Fish Farming project. He also spoke and stated that Biofloc was an eco-friendly culture system. It reduces environmental impacts and improves land and water use efficiency, he hinted. Usama added that biofloc fish farming had good survival rate, growth performance. It saves water as well as reduces water pollution. In Biofloc fish farming, there is limited or zero water exchange. He suggested that citizens should focus on fish farming as it promised high economic returns and food security for the general public in the country. Concurrent Technologies Corporation and Enterprise Ventures Corporation work hand-in-hand to optimize and produce advanced technologies. Concurrent Technologies Corporation and Enterprise Ventures Corporation work hand-in-hand to optimize and produce advanced technologies. Johnstown, PA, Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Enterprise Ventures Corporation (EVC) has been awarded a $2.1 million contract to manufacture a proprietary specialty coating for military applications. This is an initial order for an expected long-term demand driven by numerous customers. This breakthrough coating is a result of the unique capabilities and synergies of Concurrent Technologies Corporation, which primarily handled research and development, and its wholly owned affiliate, Enterprise Ventures Corporation, whose focus is on commercialization and production, said Edward J. Sheehan, Jr., CTC President and CEO. This success is the latest example of our companys combined strength in performing full lifecycle services including design, development, prototype, full-scale production, sustainment, and disposition. This joint capability is a key part of our overall strategic plan. Other successful CTC-EVC technology transitions include the Advanced Guard for Information Security (AGIS) cross domain solution product; dedicated production tools used in aircraft maintenance; and the Carriage, Stream, Tow, and Recovery System (CSTRS), which provides airborne mine countermeasure capability. In this case, CTC developed a new material to meet a specific requirement. CTCs and EVCs technical experts and other professionals worked together to develop the equipment and processes to manufacture this coating, and EVC established the production capability to support near-term and anticipated long-term demand. Since ongoing production is anticipated, EVC will increase staff to meet the growing needs. EVCs website contains details on positions related to this work and other career opportunities: https://evc.ctc.com/careers/. Enterprise Ventures Corporation (EVC) is a wholly owned affiliate of Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC). EVCs mission is to transfer advanced technologies designed and created by CTC and others to the industrial base and to deliver high-quality products and services to its clients. www.evc.ctc.com Story continues Attachment CONTACT: Mary Bevan Concurrent Technologies Corporation 814-248-9917 BevanM@ctc.com American presidents have a long history of downplaying, or even hiding, the severity of their illnesses. But presidential historians said President Donald Trumps handling of his COVID-19 infection is downright dangerous because he provides misleading information during a pandemic and is not being transparent about his health as Americans decide whether to reelect him. The White House has been unclear on the timeline leading to Trumps COVID-19 diagnosis, and officials have given mixed stories about his treatment. Aides portrayed an image of business as usual despite lingering uncertainty over the severity of his case even after Trump left the hospital Monday to return to the White House. "We vote for and support people we trust," said Peter Loge, an associate professor of media and public affairs at George Washington University in Washington. "If we can't get a straight answer out of the White House about how sick the president is, we just lose credibility, and it makes it hard to trust them." Scholars who have studied the presidency said the optimism from the White House is not unprecedented. President Donald Trump returns to the White House on Oct. 5 after leaving Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. Trump announced he tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 2. "As a rule of thumb, in any presidential health crisis, you are going to get a much more optimistic report than generally is warranted," said Ross Baker, professor of political science at Rutgers University in New Jersey. As he left Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday night, Trump wore a mask and gave several thumbs-up and celebratory fist shakes for the cameras gathered outside the building. The president suffered a high fever and low blood oxygen levels. He received a steroid, antiviral medication, an experimental antibody cocktail and supplemental oxygen while under care. Trump's weight and age increase the risk of severe illness from COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. President Trump waves from the back of a car in a motorcade outside Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., on Oct. 4. News of the coronavirus infiltrating the administration did not come from the White House it was revealed by a Bloomberg News reporter who confirmed Thursday that presidential adviser Hope Hicks had tested positive. Trump, first lady Melania Trump, three Republican senators, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and others close to the administration also contracted COVID-19. Story continues After Trump was flown last week to Walter Reed, his doctors gave conflicting accounts of his health. Sean Conley, the president's physician, was evasive when he was asked Saturday whether the president was receiving oxygen, later saying he was "not necessarily" intending to mislead the public but trying to paint an "optimistic" picture. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows muddied the assessment even further when he followed Conley's upbeat news conference by saying he was "very concerned" about the president's condition. The White House released photos of Trump "hard at work" in a business jacket in the hospital where he signed a blank piece of paper while sitting at a boardroom table. Sunday, Trump ventured outside Walter Reed Medical Center to wave at supporters from an SUV. Doctors and critics called the move "reckless" and accused him of endangering the Secret Service members riding in the vehicle with him. A day later, hours before leaving Walter Reed, the president said he was feeling better. "Dont let it dominate your life," he wrote on Twitter about COVID-19. "We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!" All this comes after seven months of Trump downplaying the virus and telling Americans COVID-19 was no worse than the flu and that it would disappear "like a miracle." President Donald Trump says he's "starting to feel good" as he fights COVID-19. Trump is hardly the first president to project good health and resilience. President John F. Kennedy tried to portray an image of vigorous health despite debilitating back pain and Addison's disease, a disorder that leads to constant pain-relieving injections, Baker said. President James Garfield was shot in the back in 1881 by a lawyer at a railway station in Washington. Doctors were unable to remove the bullet. After two months of suffering through various medical procedures, he was taken to a cottage in Long Branch, New Jersey. He was clearly dying, Baker said, yet physicians kept sending out messages saying he was fine. Nobody wants to be the bearer of bad tidings when it comes to the presidents health. Doctors at Walter Reed answer to the commander in chief. "This is politicized medicine," Baker said. "Medical reports are issued for the political purpose of convincing people the president is in better shape than the actual medical condition would allow." The positive spin can become a cover-up in some cases. President Woodrow Wilson traversed the country in September 1919, exhausting himself as he tried to build support for a coalition of nations after World War I. He collapsed after a speech in Pueblo, Colorado, on Sept. 25 and suffered a severe stroke the next month that left him partially paralyzed on the left side. The stroke was not made public while Wilson remained in office. Neither was a urinary infection that "nearly killed him," according to John Milton Cooper, professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who wrote "Woodrow Wilson: A Biography." Wilsons wife, Edith, hid the extent of his condition and practically took over the role of president for the final 17 months of his presidency. Cooper said the first lady screened all requests and correspondence, and though she consulted with Wilson on major decisions, she often made the decision herself by "reading his mind" and taking actions she felt he would have supported. "It was a terrible cover-up," Cooper said. people positive around trump Two decades later, in 1944, a similar scene played out when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was diagnosed with "acute congestive heart failure" that forced him into seclusion for months. Historians said a bit of subterfuge was understandable, given that the country was in the midst of World War II and the U.S. military was in the final stages of preparing for the D-Day invasion that opened the second front in the war. "I can understand why the White House didnt want to tell Adolf Hitler and the world whether the president was ill," said Timothy Naftali, a presidential historian at New York University. A presidential election was also on the calendar that year, meaning FDR withheld critical information about his health from voters. After winning that election, FDR died three months into his fourth and final term. "We were electing a dying man," Cooper said. Sometimes, Americans have been left completely in the dark about their leaders' health. President Grover Cleveland, in his second term in the summer of 1893, was secretly taken to a friends yacht to have a cancerous tumor removed from the roof of his mouth. The public wouldnt learn the truth until nine years after Cleveland died in 1917. Naftali said he worries that Trump is wasting what could be a "teachable moment" for the American people. COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, has infected more than 7.5 million people in the USA and killed more than 212,000. Trump has repeatedly mocked his rival, Vice President Joe Biden, for wearing a mask and has downplayed the severity of the virus. Historians said such actions run contrary to the role of the president, who should use his position to promote preventive health measures, especially during a pandemic. Naftali pointed to President Ronald Regan, who was diagnosed with colon cancer while in office, and first lady Nancy Reagan, who was diagnosed with breast cancer. They shared their diagnoses and the procedures they underwent. That helped educate the public about those diseases, Naftali said, leading to more women getting mammograms and more adults getting their colons checked. Though Trump has tried to remain in the public eye since his COVID-19 diagnosis, Naftali said his actions over the weekend undermined his ability to use his experience as an instructive example. Naftali questioned Trumps decisions to retweet a video showing unmasked supporters lined up outside Walter Reed Medical Center. He questioned Trumps decision to expose Secret Service agents to the virus during his ride in an SUV to greet those supporters. And he questioned the presidents tweet on Monday about leaving Walter Reed, in which the president declared, "Dont be afraid of Covid." "The tweet was the worst messaging on public health ever," Naftali said. "The president has an opportunity to lead the discussion toward a better public health approach. That mightve been an opportunity to tell his supporters, 'I want you to stay safe, wear a mask.' But he didnt." From a marketing perspective, presidents are "all about protecting their brand," said Randy Sparks, professor of marketing at the University of Dayton School of Business Administration in Ohio. "The Trump campaign is doing exactly what it should be doing to protect their brand," said Sparks, who has studied campaign rhetoric and its persuasive effects. Sparks said people will have different "ethical lines" on how much should be revealed about a presidents health. I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good! Dont be afraid of Covid. Dont let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 5, 2020 Some presidential advisers may feel it's in the interest of national security to not reveal the whole story about a president's health. Anti-American countries or terrorist groups could view a presidential illness or incapacitation as a moment to strike. On the other hand, there is the argument that Americans have a right to the truth about a president's medical condition, especially as many prepare to vote, he said. "It is a very fine line that you have to walk because there are a whole variety of competing interests," he said. William Howell, a political science professor at the University of Chicago, said people have deep concerns about the health of democracy in a polarized USA. They are divided, distrustful and angry. "The lack of clarity associated with his health adds volatility and more uncertainty," he said. Follow the reporters on Twitter @anneryman and @alangomez. Contributing: Elinor Aspegren and Savannah Behrmann This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump Walter Reed visit raises questions about White House spin 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. Manchester United plc (NYSE:MANU), is not the largest company out there, but it received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the NYSE over the last few months, increasing to US$16.52 at one point, and dropping to the lows of US$13.99. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Manchester United's current trading price of US$14.15 reflective of the actual value of the mid-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at Manchester Uniteds outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change. Check out our latest analysis for Manchester United What's the opportunity in Manchester United? Good news, investors! Manchester United is still a bargain right now. My valuation model shows that the intrinsic value for the stock is $18.34, but it is currently trading at US$14.15 on the share market, meaning that there is still an opportunity to buy now. Another thing to keep in mind is that Manchester Uniteds share price may be quite stable relative to the rest of the market, as indicated by its low beta. This means that if you believe the current share price should move towards its intrinsic value over time, a low beta could suggest it is not likely to reach that level anytime soon, and once its there, it may be hard to fall back down into an attractive buying range again. What does the future of Manchester United look like? Future outlook is an important aspect when youre looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so lets also take a look at the company's future expectations. Though in the case of Manchester United, it is expected to deliver a highly negative earnings growth in the upcoming, which doesnt help build up its investment thesis. It appears that risk of future uncertainty is high, at least in the near term. Story continues What this means for you: Are you a shareholder? Although MANU is currently undervalued, the negative outlook does bring on some uncertainty, which equates to higher risk. Consider whether you want to increase your portfolio exposure to MANU, or whether diversifying into another stock may be a better move for your total risk and return. Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping tabs on MANU for some time, but hesitant on making the leap, I recommend you research further into the stock. Given its current undervaluation, now is a great time to make a decision. But keep in mind the risks that come with negative growth prospects in the future. Keep in mind, when it comes to analysing a stock it's worth noting the risks involved. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Manchester United you should know about. If you are no longer interested in Manchester United, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. AP/Shutterstock Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer More than a dozen people have been arrested and charged for their alleged involvement in a plot to overthrow the government and kidnap Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, according to officials. United States Attorney Andrew Birge announced on Thursday that Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta were federally charged with conspiring to kidnap Whitmer, 49, at her vacation home in the Western District of Michigan. Separately, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that Paul Bellar, Shawn Fix, Eric Molitor, Michael Null, William Null, Pete Musico and Joseph Morrison all known to be members or associates of a militia group were arrested on state terrorism charges. The FBI became aware of the alleged scheme earlier this year through social media, according to a criminal complaint. Officials alleged that six individuals plotted the "violent overthrow of certain government and law-enforcement components" that they believe were "violating the U.S. Constitution." Members of the alleged conspiracy conducted coordinated surveillance on Whitmer's vacation home and attempted to obtain the addresses of local law-enforcement officers, according to the complaint. Authorities also claimed that several suspects participated in firearms training and attempted to construct an improvised explosive device. Bill Pugliano/Getty Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer RELATED: Who Are the 'Proud Boys'? Trump Told Far-Right Extremists to 'Stand by' Before Denouncing Them "All of us can disagree about politics, but those disagreements should never, ever result in violence," U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider, Eastern District of Michigan, said in a statement. The allegations in this complaint are deeply disturbing. We owe our thanks to the men and women of law enforcement who uncovered this plot and have worked so hard to protect Governor Whitmer. Story continues According to the Michigan Department of Attorney General, seven individuals made threats of violence to instigate a civil war leading to societal collapse and trained for an operation to attack the state Capitol building. "There has been a disturbing increase in anti-government rhetoric and the re-emergence of groups that embrace extremist ideologies," Nessel said. "These groups often seek to recruit new members by seizing on a moment of civil unrest and using it to advance their agenda of self-reliance and armed resistance. This is more than just political disagreement or passionate advocacy, some of these groups mission is simply to create chaos and inflict harm upon others." Join us live in Lansing. https://t.co/wftm2A3sDy Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) October 8, 2020 RELATED: Trump Refuses to Condemn White Supremacy, Instead Telling Far-Right Group: 'Stand Back and Stand By' Whitmer addressed the alleged plot in a press conference on Thursday afternoon, saying, "When I put my hand on the Bible and took the oath of office 22 months ago, I knew this job would be hard. But I'll be honest, I never could've imagined anything like this." In her statement, Whitmer also took aim at President Donald Trump for declining to condemn white supremacy groups during the first presidential debate. (He denounced them days later while speaking with Fox News' Sean Hannity.) "Just last week, the president of the United States stood before the American people and refused to condemn white supremacists and hate groups like these two Michigan militia groups," she said. "'Stand back and stand by,' he told them. 'Stand back and stand by.' Hate groups heard the president's words not as a rebuke, but as a rallying cry, as a call to action." Whitmer continued, "So let me say this loud and clear: hatred, bigotry, and violence have no place in the great state of Michigan. And if you break the law, or conspire to commit heinous acts of violence against anyone we will find you, we will hold you accountable, and we will bring you to justice." It is unclear if the suspects have obtained legal representation who can speak on their behalf or have entered pleas at this time. Kamala Harris claims Donald Trump is Covering up everything from taxes to his health (REUTERS) Kamala Harris called out Donald Trump over the explosive tax allegations against the president in her debate with Mike Pence. Ms Harris accused Mr Trump of Covering up everything from his taxes to his health in a fiery exchange with the vice president. Joe Bidens running mate mocked the president for reportedly only paying $750 in taxes, revealed by a New York Times investigation into his finances. Joe Biden has been so incredibly transparent and certainly in contrast the president has not, both in terms of health records and also let us look at taxes, said Ms Harris. "We now know because of great investigative journalism that Donald Trump paid $750 in taxes. "When I first heard about it I literally said $750,000? And it was like No $750. "We now know that Donald Trump owes and is in debt for $400m. And just so everyone knows when we say in debt we means owes money to somebody. Ms Harris went on to compare Mr Bidens honesty with that of Mr Trump. Joe has been transparent for many years, he is honest and forthright, and Donald Trump has been about covering up everything," she said. Read more Trump and Ivanka could face prison for tax scandal, says ex-prosecutor Trump accused of mocking f***ing stupid IRS Will anything be done about Trump tax returns scandal? The Trump tax revelations will make no difference to the election The old post burned to the ground and we lost everything, Conaster said. But the saddest thing that happened to the post ended up being the best thing. Because while we were heartbroken to have lost all of our history, it brought the community back together again, because so many people stepped up to rebuild a new post. 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 MADISON, Wis. A Black Wisconsin police officer who fatally shot a Black teenager outside a suburban Milwaukee mall in February won't be charged because he had reasonable belief that deadly force was necessary, a prosecutor said Wednesday. Wauwatosa Officer Joseph Mensah shot 17-year-old Alvin Cole outside Mayfair Mall on Feb. 2 after police responded to a reported disturbance at the shopping center. Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, in a 14-page letter laying out his rationale, said evidence showed Cole fled from police carrying a stolen 9 mm handgun. He cited squad car audio evidence, along with testimony from Mensah and two fellow officers, that he said showed Cole had fired a shot while fleeing and refused commands to drop the gun. Image: Wauwatosa Police Officer Joseph Mensah. (Gary Monreal/Monreal Photography LLC / AP file) He did not surrender the weapon and was fired upon by Officer Mensah causing his death, Chisholm wrote. He concluded: (T)here is sufficient evidence that Officer Mensah had an actual subjective belief that deadly force was necessary and that belief was objectively reasonable. Cole was the third person Mensah has fatally shot since becoming an officer, and his death has sparked periodic protests in Wauwatosa and the Milwaukee area. Gov. Tony Evers announced earlier Wednesday that he had activated National Guard members as a precaution, though he didn't say how many or how they were being used. Guard spokesman Maj. Joe Trovato later said hundreds of troops were at the ready. The city of Wauwatosa issued a nightly 7 p.m. curfew after Chisholm's decision was announced, to run until next Monday. Many people ignored the curfew, marching peacefully in the city. Late Wednesday evening and well past the curfew, a group of a few hundred protesters confronted a police line. Police said some in the group were throwing rocks at law enforcement and buildings and that they used tear gas to disperse the protesters. Footage posted on social media showed the gas and the crowd retreating. Story continues WISN-TV reported windows broken at several businesses on the city's north side, including a pharmacy, coffee shop, wall coverings store, cleaners and fitness center. Scores of people surrounded the Milwaukee County Public Safety Building as Cole's attorney and family members met with Chisholm, some chanting, "Say his name! Alvin Cole! and Justice! When do we want it? Now! Chisholm's report noted that Cole's gun had a spent round in the chamber the one that investigators believe he fired while running, possibly striking himself in the arm and that the magazine was recovered in his sling bag, meaning the gun had no more bullets in it when he was shot. Mensah and two other officers at the scene said Cole pointed the gun at them. Cole's sister, Taleavia Cole, insisted the shooting wasn't justified because her brother could not have fired at Mensah. She said he should not be allowed to continue working as an officer. The fight continues. It doesnt end here, said his sister, Taleavia Cole. ... Its time for DA Chisholm to retire or step down. Chisholm also said that he didnt believe the state had enough evidence to disprove that Mensah was defending himself or others, so he couldnt meet the burden required to bring charges. Kimberley Motley, a family attorney for the Coles, seized on Chisholms wording. Chisholm did not say that the shooting was justified, Motley said. And thats really important. Motley, who also represents the families of the two other people killed by Mensah, said if he had been fired earlier then Cole would still be alive. We are not done fighting, she said. We are still going to fight for a conviction of Officer Joseph Mensah. Here is a list of resources for people who have been displaced by wildfires in our area and people who want to donate money, goods or services to help: AARP Relief Fund: The AARP Foundation has announced a disaster relief fund to support victims of the wildfires across the Western states. The foundation will match contributions dollar for dollar up to $500,000. All funds raised will be directed to organizations providing relief and assistance to those in need. Tax-deductible donations are being accepted through the foundation's secure website, www.aarpfoundation.org/disasterrelief. American Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management Agency support for fire evacuees: Linn County Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road E., Albany. Anyone impacted by the wildfires and in need of support can call 1-800-RED-CROSS. Apply for federal disaster assistance: State and federal officials are encouraging Oregon residents affected by the wildfires and straight-line winds to register for disaster assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency as soon as possible. FEMA's Individual Assistance program for survivors has been made available in Linn, Marion and other counties. Assistance may include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. Register at 800-621-3362, disasterassistance.gov or the FEMA app. Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration are available to homeowners, renters and businesses. Information: 800-659-2955 or www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance. Public assistance for emergency work and repair of replacement of disaster-damaged facilities has been made available to counties including Benton, Linn and Marion. All areas are eligible to apply for Hazard Mitigation assistance. Visit FEMA.gov for more information. Behavioral health helpline: The Oregon Health Authority has announced the launch of a behavioral health outreach and education effort and a new helpline for Oregonians. Portland-based nonprofit agency Lines for Life and OHA have launched the Safe + Strong Helpline at 800-923-4357 (800-923-HELP). The line offers free, 24-7 emotional support and resource referral to anyone who needs it not only those experiencing a mental health crisis. OHA has also expanded its Safe + Strong education and outreach campaign to include behavioral health resources. Safe + Strong is a statewide outreach effort in 12 languages aimed at reaching communities most impacted by health disparities with culturally relevant, linguistically responsive resources. A behavioral health landing page at https://www.safestrongoregon.org offers mental and emotional support information and resources as well as guidance for how to have conversations with loved ones who may be struggling. OHA has also launched digital, print, radio and community outreach to ensure as many Oregonians as possible know that help is available for them. Target audiences for the campaign include Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities, LGBTQIA+ communities and families with young children, with messaging and materials developed in partnership with community-based organizations. OHA plans to add a community care resource guide, providing information about a variety of mental health resources that are responsive to community needs. Crisis counseling: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Disaster Distress Helpline provides 24/7, 365-day-a-year crisis counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters. Call the Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to speak to a trained crisis counselor. Debris management for homeowners: Household hazardous waste and ash and debris removal information at wildfire.oregon/gov/cleanup. Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool: Producers and landowners can use the online Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, answering five questions to identify U.S. Department of Agriculture programs that will help meet disaster recovery needs. Customers can also download a copy of the new "Disaster at a Glance" brochure. For more information on all USDA disaster assistance programs, visit farmers.gov/recover, or contact your local USDA Service Center, which can be found at farmers.gov/service-center-locator. For assistance with a crop insurance claim, please contact your crop insurance agent. Disaster relief supplies: Hill Street Church of Christ, 1805 Hill St. SE in Albany, is working with the Church of Christ Disaster Relief Effort, Inc., to offer disaster relief supplies to those directly affected by the wildfires. Supplies will be distributed 4 to 7 p.m. Thursdays and 2 to 6 p.m. Saturdays. Eligibility will be determined by validation of residency via a photo ID card, such as a driver's license, that has the bearer's address. While supplies last, the church will offer food boxes with enough for a family of four for four or five days, personal care boxes, infant care boxes and diapers, cleaning supplies, garbage bags, water bottles, tarps, shovels, rakes, mops, box fans and laundry detergent. Disaster Unemployment Assistance: The Oregon Employment Department has announced the availability of DUA for individuals who became unemployed, had their work hours substantially reduced or are unemployed self-employed individuals as a direct result of the wildfires and straight-winds that took place since Sept. 7. Individuals also must not qualify for regular state unemployment insurance, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, other extension programs or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits. DUA is available for weeks of unemployment beginning Sept. 13. Benefits will be available till March 20, as long as the individual's unemployment continues to be a direct result of the disaster. The application must be filed by Oct. 23. Application forms are available at www.oregon.gov/employ/disaster, certain evacuation sites and WorkSource Centers. Further information is available at 503-570-5000. Displaced animal database: Thousands of Oregonians, their livestock and their other animals are displaced following the devastating wildfires. Many shelters, private groups and citizens are now housing these animals, some of which do not have known owners. While some of these groups are advertising lost animals on their websites or social media, it can be difficult for the public to know where to look. The Oregon Department of Agriculture has created an online database and website to help. The ODA Animal Tracker, https://oda.direct/AnimalTrack, is meant to assist Oregonians looking for animals displaced during the wildfires. This tracker is not intended to replace existing systems already in place at county animal shelters. In order to make the database work, animal shelters, private citizens and groups caring for animals without known owners can email ODA with information and photos. That information will be added to the database and continuously updated. Therefore, owners are asked to visit often if they dont see their animals listed. If you are caring for animals without a known owner, you can have the animals listed by emailing ODA at animaltrack@oda.state.or.us. The email must include the following information: shelter name and location; shelter phone number; shelter email address; location where animal was found (as much detail as known); species; color; sex; and picture(s) of animals. Livestock photos should show left side, right side, face/head and identifying marks such as brands, scars or ear tags. Pet photos should show the left side, right, face/head and back. If the shelter, citizen or group does not have the means to collect and email this information, call ODAs Brand Inspection program at 503-986-4685 to request help. It is important to remember that it against the law to keep found livestock. If assistance is needed to verify ownership of livestock, call ODA to request the assistance of the local brand inspector (503-986-4685). County shelter links can also be found on the ODA Animal Tracker for owners to search. County shelters will be responsible for ensuring ownership of animals discharged from their shelter. Donate or volunteer to help evacuees: Visit https://oregonrecovers.communityos.org. Donations for victims: One way way to support fire-stricken communities is to provide financial donations to relief organizations actively responding to these disasters. For verified disaster relief organizations, refer to Oregon Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster at www.orvoad.org. Donations for victims: Those interested in helping those who have been displaced and severely impacted by the recent fires can contribute to the Linn County Wildland Fire Victims Fund. Contributions will be used for hotel vouchers and medical needs. Checks can be mailed to the fund in care of the Linn County Fair and Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road E., Albany, OR 97322, or in care of the Linn County Treasurer, PO Box 100, Albany, OR 97321. Checks also can be dropped off at the expo center. Checks must include the words "Linn County." Emotional support resources: The Oregon Behavioral Health Support Line is a free and confidential resource for all Oregonians who are looking for emotional support. Call 1-800-923-HELP (4357). You do not need to be in a mental health crisis to call this line. If you need or want help beyond what the line can provide, you will be connected to those services. This can include community-based services such as housing, food assistance or clinical services. Certified interpreters are also available for those who speak a language other than English. Through this number, you can also connect with Lines for Life (linesforlife.org), a suicide prevention organization with specific resources for youth, military personnel and their families, and those affected by substance abuse problems. Enroll in health coverage: Oregonians affected by the wildfires can use the federal emergency declaration by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to take advantage of an exceptional circumstances special enrollment period. Applications are being accepted at 800-318-2596 and healthcare.gov. The enrollment period could expire as early as Nov. 15. Find and reunite loved ones: Oregon Emergency Management urges the public to update information on their status with the American Red Cross. Let loved ones know you are safe at the American Red Cross Safe and Well Website. State emergency managers encourage people affected by the fires, whether or not they have evacuated, to register on the site. It is a helpful tool that can bring relief to people looking for loved ones during these fires, and help inform search efforts. Visit https://safeandwell.communityos.org/cms/index.php. Food and water for wildfire victims: To donate food, water and other items, reach out to your local food pantry to see if they are able to receive donations. Find food pantries at https://foodfinder.oregonfoodbank.org/. Food replacement benefits: The Oregon Department of Human Services is processing replacement benefit requests for individuals who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and who suffered loss of food due to the wildfires. SNAP recipients who lost or disposed of food that was unsafe to eat can request SNAP replacement benefits. Current SNAP recipients should contact their local ODHS office as soon as possible to find out if they are eligible. Replacement benefits are available to existing SNAP recipients who lost food due to a power outage or home damage. The deadline to request replacement benefits has been extended to Wednesday. Information: oregon.gov/dhs/offices/pages/index.aspx. Free telehealth appointment: SAMI-Aid, a telemedicine platform and health care concierge company, is offering free telehealth appointments to those who have been affected by the wildfires across Oregon. Those who have been affected can call SAMI-Aid at 844-726-4243 to redeem a code for a free consultation through a telehealth platform. Information: samiaid.com. GoFundMe fundraisers for wildfire victims: More than 60 verified fundraisers have been started for Oregon residents affected by the fires. All of them have been added to GoFundMe's centralized hub: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/oregon-fires. Health and social services: Call 211 or visit 211info.org to connect with health and social service organizations. These include child care resources, utility assistance, food resources, housing and shelter information and more. Health Care Heroes Relief Fund: This fund supports Oregon hospital workers who are or become victims of the wildfires. All donations to the fund will be tax-deductible as allowed under law. To donate, visit www.orhealthfund.org. Immediate foreclosure relief: The Department of Housing and Urban Developments automatic 90-day moratorium on foreclosures of Federal Housing Administration-insured home mortgages commenced for the Oregon counties covered under the presidential declaration on the date of the declaration. For assistance, call your loan servicer or FHAs Resource Center at 1-800-CALL FHA (1-800-225-5342). Information about donating, volunteering, packing and emergency response agency websites: Visit wildfire.oregon.gov. Locate manufactured home ownership documents: The Oregon Building Codes Division's online system can provide manufactured home owners with information including the record of ownership, if the documents were destroyed in the wildfires. The Oregon Manufactured Home Ownership Document system is available at https://aca-oregon.accela.com/or_mhods. The system allows people to search for their documents and, once they find them, print or email them. If customers need an existing ownership document mailed to them but are displaced from their home, they can call 800-442-7456 or email mhods.bed@oregon.gov and the division can send it to any address the customer wants. The MHOD system also has forms, application forms and other resources. People can access the records without logging in. Meals for evacuees: Its On Us Corvallis is partnering with local restaurants, farmers and other producers to provide meals to displaced Oregon residents. Several local restaurant owners are showing community support to neighbors displaced by the fires. IOU is dedicated to reimbursing expenses to whatever extent possible, in an effort to help recoup some lost revenue from yet another economic blow. IOU is asking for donations to support the businesses and producers that participate in donating these meals to evacuees. Donations can be made at https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/itsonuscorvallis. To stay up to date on meal distributions, follow Its On Us Corvallis on social media. Medical equipment and supplies replacements: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will assist Medicare beneficiaries who have lost or realized damage to their durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies as a result of the public health emergency. This will help make sure beneficiaries can continue to access the medical equipment and supplies they rely on each day. Medicare beneficiaries can call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) for assistance. Quilt drive: BethAnn Whittle-Cooley, a Corvallis High School alum who now lives in Arizona, has orchestrated a quilt drive across the United States to support fire evacuees in Oregon. Highland Bowl, 2123 NW Ninth St. in Corvallis, is serving as a a quilt drop center through Friday. Quilts are being delivered to evacuees housed in local hotels. Replace lost green cards: 800-375-5283 or www.uscis.gov. Special enrollment opportunities for wildfire victims: The centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will make available special enrollment periods for certain Medicare beneficiaries and certain individuals seeking health plans offered through the Federal Health Insurance Exchange. This gives people impacted by the wildfires the opportunity to change their Medicare health and prescription drug plans or gain access to health coverage on the Exchange if eligible for the special enrollment period. For more information on the Exchange, visit https://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Resources/Regulations-and-Guidance/Downloads/8-9-natural-disaster-SEP.pdf. Oregon Health Plan members: If you have health insurance under OHP and had to leave home quickly due to wildfires, leaving behind important medical equipment or prescriptions, there is a way to get those items replaced. If you have any trouble replacing things like medical equipment, supplies or prescriptions, your coordinated care organization can help. You can find your CCO contact information at http://ow.ly/jprH50BoEAi. If youre an OHP member with an open card, call Member Services at 800-273-0557. Shelter for wildfire victims: The American Red Cross has temporary shelters available throughout Western Oregon. For a list of shelters, go to websitehttps://www.redcross.org/get-help/disaster-relief-and-recovery-services/find-an-open-shelter.html. Tax relief for victims of wildfires: If you are a victim of the wildfires and straight-line winds, any penalty and interest imposed for late filing or late payment related to due dates that fall on or after Sept. 7 and before Jan. 15 will be waived if you file and pay by Jan. 15. Information: https://www.oregon.gov/dor/Documents/Wildfire_Relief_FAQ.pdf. Technical and financial assistance for farmers, livestock producers and private forest landowners: The U.S. Department of Agriculture has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers, livestock producers, and private forest landowners recover from the impact of the recent wildfires. As agricultural producers move into recovery mode and assess damages, they should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure and livestock losses and damages. The USDA encourages farmers and livestock producers to contact the Farm Service Agency county office at the local USDA Service Center to learn which documents should be provided to help the local office expedite assistance, such as farm records, receipts and pictures of damages or losses. Depending on the operation, the FSA offers a number of disaster assistance programs to help offset eligible losses, including the Livestock Indemnity Program; Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program; Emergency Conservation Program; Emergency Forest Restoration Program; Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program; Tree Assistance Program; and Livestock Forage Disaster Program. Additionally, producers in counties with a primary or contiguous disaster designation may be eligible for low-interest emergency loans to help them recover from production and physical losses. The USDAs Natural Resources Conservation Service also offers programs to help in the recovery process. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program can be used to provide resource protection for areas burned by catastrophic fires. Benefits include preventing soil erosion, minimizing the spread of noxious and invasive plants, revegetating burned areas, removing excess dead vegetation, protecting water quality and restoring livestock infrastructure necessary for grazing management. Producers with Federal crop insurance coverage should contact their crop insurance agent for assistance. Producers should report crop damage to their agent within 72 hours of damage discovery and follow up in writing within 15 days. U.S. Department of Agriculture assistance for farmers: Oregon agricultural and forestry operations have been significantly impacted by the wildfires, and the USDA has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers, livestock producers and private forest landowners recover. As agricultural producers move into recovery mode and assess damages, they should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure and livestock losses and damages. Umpqua Bank relief and support: Umpqua Bank has announced a package of relief and support for communities, customers and associates impacted by the wildfires raging across the West Coast. The bank has committed $750,000 in relief funding to impacted communities. This includes $100,000 for response and recovery efforts. An additional $650,000 is allocated for community organizations helping small businesses and local economies recover. The bank also has activated a 3:1 corporate match for associates donating to nonprofit agencies supporting those impacted by the wildfires, as well as expanded its Virtual Volunteer program to support the Umpqua associates volunteering time and resources to recovery efforts. The bank has activated its Disaster Relief Loan Program to provide impacted customers with quick access to cash as needed, as well as to help them recover financially. Mortgage relief options for homeowners impacted by natural disasters are also being made available, and the bank will work with all impacted customers to defer or waive any costs associated with their Umpqua accounts incurred as a direct result of the wildfires. For Umpqua associates directly impacted by the wildfires, the bank has initiated an emergency assistance fund. In addition to providing direct financial support to these associates, the bank is also providing impacted associates access to a wide variety of services to meet their immediate and long-term needs. Vital records: The Oregon Center for Health Statistics Vital Records has issued a temporary rule intended to provide relief from the requirement to pay certain fees for copies of some vital records for Oregonians who have had loss of property or life associated with the wildfires burning in Oregon. The temporary rules are effective through March 1. OAR 333-011-0900 is a new temporary rule that waives the fees for searches, up to three certified copies of vital records, and for no record letters if requested by individuals effected by wildfires under Executive Order No. 20-35. Information: 971-673-1185 or Jennifer.A.Woodward@dhsoha.state.or.us. Wildfire debris removal: The deadline to sign up to have your wildfire debris removed free of charge is Oct. 16. Before you can rebuild, your property must be cleared of household hazardous waste and/or other hazardous substances. Crews that specialize in identifying and removing hazardous substances will visit properties, determine what hazardous materials need to be removed, and remove them for safe disposal. This service is funded by federal and state government and provided free of charge to property owners, who must sign an access agreement by Oct. 16. Access agreement form: https://www.tfaforms.com/4856908. Information: www.linnsheriff.org/wildfire-recovery. Wildfire response resource information: https://states.aarp.org/oregon/oregon-resources-for-wildfire-response. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. Black Attorney Told He Wasnt A Lawyer Based on His Way of Dress Then Tased at Court Bailiff tased and cuffed Person-Lynn in the middle of a verbal dispute. When a lawyer enters the courtroom, they are supposed to be treated with respect. There is a specific lane for attorneys to talk to the clerk, bailiff, and judge. Attorney, Jaaye Person-Lynn knows that protocol; he has been an attorney for 10 years, worked on approximately 250 cases, and his name and practice are held in high regard. However, earlier this month, none of his expertise mattered. It all came down to what he looked like, and because the bailiff did not see Jaaye as a lawyer, he did not treat him like one. ADVERTISEMENT Person-Lynn was looking to make adjustments and handle last-minute details on one of his upcoming cases. When he called to ask for the procedures, the San Bernardino Justice Center operator advised Person-Lynn to stop by the clerks office. According to Person-Lynn, he began to visualize his trip to the courts. Because he was not scheduled for a courtroom appearance, and only there to handle a standard administrative function with the clerk, he dressed casually. Person-Lynn sported sneakers, red chino pants, and a white shirt with West African dashiki prints. He headed into the destination with a clear task in mind: go to the clerks office. Person-Lynn shared that when he reached the clerks office, he was advised that his task required him to go into the courtroom. He inputted his clients case information into the kiosk in order to be called by the clerk to address a legal matter for his client. According to Person-Lynn, this is an important detail because he was using the kiosk option specialized for lawyers only, and gave explicit detail on what he was there for, as a presenting attorney. At that point, the attorney window representative navigated Person-Lynn to the actual courtroom, Department S7. The reason Person-Lynn was initially there was because his clients case conflicted with his schedule, and he needed to reschedule in order to make the appearance. Person-Lynn entered the opened courtroom doors and made his way to the clerks desk, within the courtroom. Person-Lynn says the custody deputy, Paul Barrie asked him, Do I know you? Although off-put by the question, Person-Lynn obliged, responding with, No, you dont know me, but Im here to talk to the clerk about one of my cases. According to Person-Lynn, the deputy looked him over and directed him to the gallery area of the courtroom, designated for the general public to view cases. Confused, attorney, Person-Lynn asked the deputy why was he being directed to go to the gallery instead of the working area of the courtroom? The deputy said with confidence, Because youre not an attorney, said Person-Lynn. Person-Lynn informed deputy Barrie that he was an attorney, and there to work on one of his assigned cases. After I told him I was an attorney, deputy Barrie directed me to bailiffs desk. Person-Lynn says, as he approached the bailiff, Deputy Sutton, she said, Sir, you see that bar, only attorneys can pass that bar. He says deputy Sutton did not allow the clerk representative to check his credentials. Again, attorney Person-Lynn outlined his identity and reached into his back pocket to retrieve his identification proving his practice as a lawyer. Person Lynn says, at that point, deputy Barrie pushed him outside the bar area. I wasnt expecting that, I had no idea, Person-Lynn explained. He says the energy shifts abruptly, but he decided not to retaliate to that initial push. Person-Lynn says he attempted to walk around the deputy Barrie who became physical with him with no cause to do so. ADVERTISEMENT The custody deputy, intruding on my personal space, puts his hand on my chest. According to Person-Lynn, he brought his hands up to remove the unwelcomed physical interaction. The reaction to the Barries hand being removed from in his personal space is being characterized as Person-Lynn having smacked deputy Barries hand away. Now met with adversity, other bailiffs begin to engage. Person-Lynn says he was told if he does not have a case on the calendar, that he had to go to the clerks office. The attorney rephrased his initial statement to make it clear he has already been to the clerks office and he was instructed to come to the Bailiffs office. After the back and forth in conversation, Person-Lynn says bailiff Sutton restated that he could not approach the clerk. Attorney Person-Lynn inquisitively asked why? Her response was thats the rule of the court,' Person-Lynn said, as they referenced a sign in the room that read, Please Dont Approach the Clerk, Check in with the Bailiff. Person-Lynn explained that the sign is for defendants, not attorneys. Knowing the rules, attorney Person-Lynn explained the differences between the standard protocol of approaching the clerk for the defendant and the lawyer. Surrendering, Person-Lynn, explained the severity of needing to talk to the clerk, requesting that the message that he needs to speak with the clerk gets passed on through the Bailiff. Exhausted from the unexpected twists and turns of this ordeal, attorney, Person-Lynn said, Im an attorney. Im an officer of the court. But when deputy Suttons response seemed dismissive, he told her he was there to talk to the clerk. Person-Lynn was interrupted by Sutton and was instructed to immediately Step out. Seeing no malice in his intentions, Person-Lynn asked, why? That banter led to Person-Lynn being pushed again. Person-Lynn responded to the situation by saying, Yall are going to have a problem, I guarantee you that. Person-Lynn says he walked out, but was still concerned about the incomplete task of talking to the clerk about his assigned case. One of the bailiffs acknowledges the case for the first time, but has the perception that Person-Lynn is part of the case as the defendant. Person-Lynn reinstates that it is his clients case. For the first time, the bailiff asks for the case number. Person-Lynn says the environment changes when the information that he has stated from the beginning of his visit is finally visible to all involved. In the shift of the room, Person-Lynn looks over to the bailiff and exchanged words to let him know, that the bailiff has made a grave mistake, specifically pointing out the time that the bailiff made physical contact with Person-Lynn. He made note of the bailiffs name and said, Im coming after you, I promise you, Im coming after you with everything I have and everything I learned in law school! Before more words were exchanged, Person-Lynn was shot with a taser at a 6-foot range. One dart went into his phone and the other dart clung to the fabric of his shirt. After that, he was rushed with cuffs and taken in as someone who himself, needs to be defended. Person-Lynn was tried and convicted with the following charge: The defendant struck Deputy Barries hand away from his chest when Deputy Barrie was attempting to hold the defendant from coming back into the area in front of the bar. There were nine total charges that outlined Person-Lynn as an obstructor, painting a picture of aggression and rebellion. These facts were printed out and given to the jury to deliberate on while processing both sides of the story. There was a lot of back and forth, and the focus was placed on physical contact. However, Person-Lynn says there is a missing perspective of a simple court protocol. If the initial custody deputy followed his training to check the system before engaging in informal conversation, they would have seen the plan that Person-Lynn came in with, and there would be no need for physical contact. This story has been updated. 10-8-2020 Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-09 01:33:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Labor in Lebanon and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) launched on Thursday an initiative to provide online learning for Lebanese citizens. The initiative aims to provide free certified learning opportunities for 25,000 Lebanese citizens on the e-learning platform Coursera, LBCI local TV channel reported. Dubbed "We should learn," the initiative offers more than 3,000 advanced courses with certification, taught by top instructors from the world's leading universities and organizations. ESCWA noted that slowed economic activity in Lebanon has resulted in an unemployment rate exceeding 30 percent, particularly impacting women and youth. "This has prompted ESCWA to offer certified training opportunities to help Lebanon reskill its unemployed workers in particular and empower its citizens in general," it said. ESCWA Executive Secretary Rola Dashti emphasized, during a press conference held to launch the initiative, the importance of creating cooperation in the society to stop economic deterioration and create job opportunities. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 17:31:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Hopping on a train to see the changing landscape of China and experience the country's diverse customs has become a popular holiday getaway. As of Wednesday, China's daily train trips exceeded 10 million for seven consecutive days in the eight-day holiday. Here are some scenic train routes across China, each with its own features and sceneries. HARBIN-DALIAN RAILWAY One of the trunk lines in northeastern China, the Harbin-Dalian railway is China's first high-speed passenger transport route throughout frigid zones. The route is renowned for its high resistance to snowstorms, sandstorms and thunderbolts. People curious about black soil are recommended to enjoy this train tour. BEIJING-GUANGZHOU RAILWAY Stretching 2,298 km long, it is the longest high-speed railway in the world with a designed speed of 350 km/hour. Connecting the capital city of Beijing in the north with the tourist city of Guangzhou in the south, the line helped cut the travel time from nearly 30 hours to about eight. It's also a scenic line as there are many stops offering picturesque sights and interesting places to visit. For instance, travelers may stop at Zhengzhou Station to explore the city of Anyang, the birthplace of the Book of Changes and the land of Oracle Bone Inscriptions. BEIJING-SHANGHAI RAILWAY A vertical route linking China's two significant economic areas, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area and the Yangtze River Delta, this railway passes the famous Yangtze River and Yellow River, both the cradles of the Chinese civilization. Travelers may get off at Qufu Station in Shandong Province for sightseeing at the hometown of Confucius, or have an excursion in Nanjing, the ancient capital of six dynasties in east China's Jiangsu Province. HEFEI-FUZHOU RAILWAY Built across complex mountainous terrain, it is the most beautiful railroad route connecting east China's Anhui Province with coastal Fujian Province. Along this route, there are many cultural and natural landscapes worth discovering. Travelers can visit the ancient city Hefei embedding the history of the Three Kingdoms period (220-280 AD) or just stroll in the forests of the Wuyi Mountain to enjoy an oxygen spa. GUIYANG-GUANGZHOU RAILWAY It is China's first high-speed railroad connecting the Pearl River Delta and the western region, providing passengers with a feast of pristine and unique sceneries in southern and southwestern China. Travelers also get to experience the culture of different ethnic minority groups, including Miao, Buyi, Dong, Tujia, Yi and etc. CHENGDU-KUNMING RAILWAY The 1,100 km-long railway extends from southwest China's Sichuan to Yunnan Province, hailed as "one of the three miracles of conquering nature in the 20 century" by the United Nations. Taking this route, people get to experience a Chinese culture of depth and variety. They could go to hotpot parties in Chengdu to feel the bustle of city life, explore the divine Buddhist Mountain of Emei or bask themselves in the balmy weather of the "Spring City" Kunming in Yunnan. QINGHAI-TIBET RAILWAY The world's highest and longest railway stretches 1,956 km long on the roof of the world, crossing plateaus, mountains, lakes and a variety of landscapes. Many people heading for Tibet prefer the train to flights to give themselves a transition to get better acclimatized to the thin air of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Along the way, people can see breathtaking landscapes and capture wildlife such as Tibetan antelopes with cameras if they are lucky enough. HANGZHOU-HUANGSHAN RAILWAY The railway takes passengers from the provincial capital city of Hangzhou in Zhejiang to Huangshan in the neighboring Anhui Province for only one hour and 20 minutes. Passing Qiandao Lake, the ecological scenic site and the main source of drinking water for Zhejiang, is another famous tour that offers people natural and cultural landscapes in east China. BEIJING-ZHANGJIAKOU RAILWAY The Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway entered service last year, shortening the overall travel time from three or four hours to only 1.25 hours. The Yanqing line, a branch line of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou railway, connects Badaling Great Wall Station with Beijing's Yanqing District, one of the three competition zones for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Enditem Millions of students in Cameroon return to school for the first time since March. We look at the changes made to keep them safe. Also, DR Congo is bracing for heavy downpours as the rainy season kicks off. Our correspondents report on how authorities and residents are trying to avoid a repeat of last year's flooding. And we discover a new magazine focused on showing African capitals in a new light. The founder of OFF TO tells us more about her bilingual review that gives a voice to locals about how they see and experience the cities they live in. Camper fire claims the life of two people in Marshall County Venezuelas state oil firm PDVSA has recently boosted its crude oil blending operations to a six-month high after some upgraders came back online, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing PDVSA documents it had seen. The so-called upgraders are used for blending Venezuelas super-heavy crude to make it flow and ready for exporting. According to one PDVSA document seen by Reuters, the Petropiar upgrader, part of a venture with Chevron, produced 115,000 barrels of Hamaca crude on Tuesday. Another upgrader, Sinovensa in partnership with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), produced 158,000 barrels of Merey crude on that day. It was unclear how long PDVSA could sustain the upgraders operational amid a lack of maintenance and investment, as well as operational issues such as power outages. Meanwhile, Venezuelas crude and fuel exports hit 690,000 barrels per day (bpd) in September, Reuters reported last week, citing data from PDVSA and Refinitiv Eikon. This was Venezuelas highest export level since April, despite the U.S. sanctions that seek to cut off oil revenues for Nicolas Maduros regime. Venezuelas exports have significantly slumped since the U.S. imposed sanctions on its crude oil exports in early 2019, essentially prohibiting U.S. refiners from buying Venezuelan crude, which was a large part of the imports of crude for U.S. Gulf Coast refiners. U.S. sanctions have exacerbated the already dire state of the Venezuelan oil industry, which is suffering from years of mismanagement, corruption, lack of investment, and the inability of the financially weak state oil firm PDVSA to invest in new production or find customers willing to risk secondary U.S. sanctions if they purchase Venezuelan oil. Venezuelas oil production and exports have been in freefall for several years, but the U.S. sanctions on its industry and exports, the crash in demand, and the COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated the decline. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The law will be implemented by the end of the month. Until now, those traveling abroad for work or those returning home were obliged to undergo a coronavirus test and observe 2 weeks in quarantine. The measure aims to give breathing space to the economy, which has sunk into a recession. Tokyo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - By the end of the month, the Japanese government will enact a new anti-Covid law granting an exemption to business people going back and forth from the country and returning travelers from the 14-day quarantine that is currently mandatory. The exemption will apply to both Japanese citizens and foreigners as long as they have a residence permit in the country, from any country they return. The proposal would appear to be aimed at giving greater breath to international trade, envisaging a recovery of the economy, which has sunk into a recession also due to the pandemic. At present, people returning to Japan from overseas travel are first forced to undergo a coronavirus test at the airport. Those who test negative are entitled to enter the country, but must remain in self-isolation for two weeks. With the new rules, those who are negative at the airport test will not have any quarantine, but must submit a plan of their activities and travel and not use public transport. The attempt to revive the economy prompted Tokyo to reach an agreement to resume commercial flights with Singapore and South Korea, without quarantine. If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit And it wasnt clear that people would come into browse if City Lit had opened its doors to the public. Neighborhood foot traffic has changed dramatically, she said: With many working from home, fewer pass by on their way to the L. Lula Cafe, just down the street, is only open for limited takeout; the crowds that once stopped in the shop to while away the wait for tables are gone. Jared Kushner Senior Advisor to the President Jared Kushner participates in a press briefing at the White House on September 4, 2020 in Washington, DC. Drew Angerer/Getty Images A new documentary shining a light on White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner's handling of the COVID-19 is raising questions about the credibility of his Supply Chain Task Force's pandemic response over the last several months. In the forthcoming documentary titled, "Totally Under Control," Max Kennedy, Jr., also the 27-year-old grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, reflected on his time as a volunteer working for President Donald Trump's administration in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. "My old boss called me and said he heard Kushner's task force needed younger volunteers who had general skills and were willing to work seven days a week for no money," Kennedy said. Although Kennedy admitted that he was apprehensive about working for the Trump administration, he took the position. When he arrived at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Washington, D.C., he and others were led to an underground conference room with no windows. TVs blaring news reports from Fox News covered the walls as representatives of FEMA and the military entered to brief the new staff about their positions. Related Articles Mike Pence couldnt defend the White Houses coronavirus response, so he made up alternative facts Sociopathy: Psychiatrist says Trump's behavior meets criteria for a locked psychiatric facility" According to Kennedy, volunteers were told that they needed to acquire "stuff" for the government. He soon learned the "stuff" they were referring to was actually personal protective equipment (PPE). After government officials left, Kennedy and other volunteers slowly began to better understand what was transpiring. "We thought we'd be auxiliary support for an existing procurement team," Kennedy said in the documentary. "Instead, we were the team." Story continues Due to the severe shortage of PPE at the beginning of the pandemic, it was up to Kennedy and the volunteer team to find and purchase what the United States needed. Although the Trump and his officials have often blamed Former President Barack Obama's administration for the PPE shortage and even the initial lack of COVID tests, the documentary reveals the Strategic National Stockpile's shortage was due to a number of reasons including approximately 12 million of the N95 masks in the stockpile were expired. The shortage put a strain on many different healthcare systems forcing them to resort to having masks imported which, subsequently costed up to 10 times the amount they would have paid American vendors. As the pandemic accelerated during the months of March and April, Kennedy and other volunteers, who had little to no experience in the medical field or supply chain management, worked around the clock to procure PPE. From their personal laptops and email addresses, their days consisted of cold calling and emailing to purchase PPE. "We started cold emailing people we knew who had business relationships in China, looking for factories online and emailing them from our personal Gmail accounts," Kennedy said in the film. Despite their efforts, the procurement process proved to be quite difficult for Kennedy and other volunteers simply because they had no clue how procurement works and, apparently, no one explained the process to them. In the documentary, Kennedy explained the process he and other volunteers had developed on their own in an effort to simply get the job done. "We would call factories and say, 'We think the federal government can send you a check in 60 days,' and they would say, 'There's someone with a briefcase of cash, and they're offering to pay me right now,'" Kennedy said in the film. "And we would run around the FEMA building looking for someone who could tell us what payment terms the government was allowed to offer, and no one ever told us." After about a week on the job, Kennedy revealed he and other volunteers were confronted by government officials and given an ultimatum: sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) or leave the premises immediately. Related Articles Fauci debunks Trumps spin, declares US coronavirus outbreak worst in the world: Numbers dont lie Jared Kushner dismisses hysterical reports, calls 170,000 coronavirus deaths a success story" "We all had built our own relationships with manufacturers, and it felt like if we walked away, it would negatively affect our ability to buy this critical, life-saving equipment. And so we all begrudgingly signed the NDA," he said in the film. In April, Kennedy opted to quit the task force and broke his NDA by submitting a complaint to Congress regarding Kushner's task force's handling of the pandemic. 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. Does the October share price for Coca-Cola HBC AG (LON:CCH) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. This will be done using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow. We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model. Check out our latest analysis for Coca-Cola HBC The calculation We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 Levered FCF (, Millions) 469.1m 503.5m 539.7m 551.0m 560.4m 569.1m 577.4m 585.4m 593.2m 600.9m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x8 Analyst x8 Analyst x3 Analyst x1 Est @ 1.7% Est @ 1.56% Est @ 1.46% Est @ 1.39% Est @ 1.34% Est @ 1.3% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 6.2% 442 447 451 434 415 397 379 362 346 330 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = 4.0b Story continues The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (1.2%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 6.2%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2030 (1 + g) (r g) = 601m (1 + 1.2%) (6.2% 1.2%) = 12b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= 12b ( 1 + 6.2%)10= 6.7b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is 11b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of UK19.6, the company appears a touch undervalued at a 27% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. dcf The assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Coca-Cola HBC as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.2%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.825. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. Moving On: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. Can we work out why the company is trading at a discount to intrinsic value? For Coca-Cola HBC, we've put together three additional factors you should further research: Risks: For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Coca-Cola HBC that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does CCH's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every British stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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 Dr. Anthony Fauci's daughters won't spend Thanksgiving with him in Washington, despite him and his wife saying they'd love to host them. The women, who live in three different parts of the country, decided against the visit to protect their father from the novel coronavirus, Fauci said in a webinar hosted by American University. While there's no one answer to whether you should visit family for the holidays, experts recommend weighing the practical risks with the mental-health benefits. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Video: How Anthony Fauci became the nation's top infectious-disease expert The nation's top infectious-disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, won't be spending Thanksgiving with his daughters this year, despite his and his wife's desires. "I have three daughters in three disparate parts of the country ... who we don't see very often," Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said during a webinar hosted by American University's Kennedy Political Union Tuesday. "We would love for them to come home for Thanksgiving." But the daughters, ages 28 to 34, didn't want to take the risk traveling would pose to their parents' health. "Dad, you know you're a young, vigorous guy," Fauci said they told him. "But you're 79 years old." Plus, the women would be traveling from cities that don't have low coronavirus-infection rates. Rather than joining their parents for Thanksgiving, the women encouraged their parents to "have a nice quiet dinner," perhaps with a neighbor they see frequently, if they have tested negative for COVID-19. They said they'd send their love via Zoom. "So we decided to make it a very, very closed family type of thing," Fauci told American University President Sylvia M. Burwell, who moderated the webinar. "I'm not going to criticize people who do it differently," he added. "But look at the individual situation in your own family and make a decision that way." Story continues Experts recommend weighing the practical risks with emotional benefits when making a decision about holiday travel Like Fauci, other public-health experts have said there's no one answer as to whether you should visit family over the holidays. There's no risk-free choice staying home doesn't mean an older relative can't catch the coronavirus some other way, and traveling doesn't necessarily mean you'll feel satisfied if, for instance, you choose not to hug or eat together. To make an informed decision, though, first think about it practically, Dr. Tista Ghosh, the medical director at Grand Rounds, a digital-healthcare company, previously told Insider. Ask yourself what sorts of coronavirus risks your visit could pose, considering things like transmission levels in both your areas, how you would travel and where you would stay, whether other family members would join and what their health status is, and how you would get together once you're there. Remember, while we're still learning a lot about this virus, a few truths have held: Outside is better than inside, fewer people is better than more, and older people and those with underlying conditions are most vulnerable. Then, take your practical cap off and step back into your emotions. Are the risks you've assessed outweighed by your family's mental and emotional health? Maybe you worry you may not see a family member again, or perhaps someone in your family is particularly isolated and lonely a state that alone is linked to serious health consequences, including a higher risk of early death. "You can't underestimate mental health," Ghosh said. There are ways to pursue both safety and connection whether you stay or go If you decide to travel, Ghosh recommends driving rather than flying and staying in an Airbnb that you've reserved for 24 hours before you arrive to ensure no one has just been in the house. If you stay with a relative, make sure you have your own bathroom, find ways to gather outside or with lots of ventilation, maintain a 6-foot distance, and wear masks. Getting a test before you go or when you arrive can't hurt, but don't let a negative give you a false sense of security, Ghosh said. The rapid tests can deliver false negatives up to 40% of the time, and while the PCR tests are more, but not perfectly, accurate, they can take up to seven days to process, giving you time to come into contact with the virus before receiving your results. "Maybe you want to come in and quarantine yourself for a couple of days or get tested a couple of times before you go in, but that's going to be kind of an inconvenience because Thanksgiving is generally a three- or four-day clip," Fauci said in the webinar. "By the time you travel, get there, and go back, you're not talking about a couple of weeks," he added. In other words, unless you're able to quarantine, act like you're contagious the whole time. If you decide, like the Fauci family, to celebrate virtually, consider ways to make the day special by, for instance, asking a grandparent to teach all the grandchildren a family recipe over Zoom, and then all cooking and eating it "together." Read the original article on Business Insider (CNN) Samsung predicts its profit jumped nearly 60% last quarter, suggesting it could soon retake its position as the world's top smartphone seller from embattled Chinese rival Huawei. The South Korean conglomerate said on Thursday that it expects to make an operating profit of roughly 12.3 trillion won ($10.6 billion) for the July-September quarter. That's up 58% from the same period a year ago. The estimates also beat the 26% profit bump analysts polled by data provider Refinitiv had predicted. Samsung said it expects sales for the third quarter will rise about 6% to 66 trillion won ($57 billion). Analysts polled by Refinitiv had predicted 63 trillion won in sales ($54.5 billion). Shares in Samsung were last trading down 0.2% in Seoul. Samsung, which did not elaborate on earnings, will report full results for the third quarter at the end of this month. Earlier this year, the company was displaced by Huawei as the world's top smartphone seller as the coronavirus pandemic weighed on the global economy. Most of Huawei's sales are in China, which has recovered faster than other countries. But the slump may now be easing for Samsung, just as fresh sanctions on Huawei leave the Chinese company struggling to survive. Washington says Huawei poses a national security risk and has cut the Chinese company off from key suppliers that use US technology and software. Huawei has repeatedly denied that its products pose national security risks. For Samsung, a sharp rise in smartphone sales will drive a rebound in earnings for the third quarter and the boost will likely carry over to next year, SK Kim, an analyst at brokerage firm Daiwa, said in a research note last week. The sales bump is driven by US restrictions on Huawei, a rise in demand for 5G phones and "improved cost structure with a rapid shift to online marketing," said Kim. The pandemic has led to the shutdown of retail stores around the world and lower marketing costs. As millions of people around the world continue to work, play games and watch movies from home, Samsung had been enjoying a boost to its memory chip business thanks to demand from data centers. But Kim said he expects Samsung will see weaker earnings from the unit going forward, "due to memory price drop from inventory adjustment." The company also supplies key parts like display panels and memory chips for other smartphone makers such as Apple, as well as Huawei rivals Xiaomi and Oppo, according to local reports. "Samsung is poised to see shipments of semiconductors and display panels to captive customers grow, fueled by increased sales," Lee Su-bin, an analyst with Daishin Securities, wrote in a note last month. "It stands to benefit more significantly than any of its peers from the ongoing ban on Huawei," he added. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Samsung earnings soar as smartphone sales rebound and rival Huawei struggles." Michigan Humane; Steve Granitz/WireImage Halle Berry the cat and Halle Berry the actress Halle Berry to the rescue! After learning that there was a cat out there who shared her name and was in need of a new home the actress, 54, who famously showed off her feline side in the 2004 film Catwoman, sprang into social media action. "This is Halle Berry," Michigan Humane wrote on Twitter, alongside two photos of an adorable black-and-white feline. Making it clear that the cat was a big fan of the actress, they humorously added, "she will not tolerate any @halleberry as Catwoman slander." "Meet Halle (the cat) at our adoption center in Howell. No appointment is necessary but please wear a mask," they added. Within an hour after the shelter posted about the cat, Berry a noted animal lover shared the message on her own Twitter account, adding a series of exclamation marks. RELATED: Dennis Quaid Adopts a Black Cat Named Dennis Quaid: 'I Just Couldn't Resist' In addition to the adorable photos, the humane society also shared a link where potential cat owners can learn more about the feline, who is currently living at the Livingston County Center for Animal Care. "Halle Berry is a sweet quiet girl looking for a calm home," they wrote of the 8-year-old domestic shorthair mix, who weighs 12 lbs. "We don't know if she has a history with children or dogs, so a slow introduction would be best. She has lived with cats in the past, and has gotten along with other cats here at the shelter as well," the animal care center added. "New situations can be scary for her, but once she settles in she loves attention!" RELATED VIDEO: Here's How You Can Help Cats During the Pandemic According to Cat Expert Jackson Galaxy Story continues Here's How You Can Help Cats During the Pandemic According to Cat Expert Jackson Galaxy Galaxys one-hour special My Cat from Hell: Cat S Crazy airs Saturday, June 18th at 9 p.m. ET on Animal Planet Over the summer, Dennis Quaid also stepped in to help an animal in need who shared his name. The Parent Trap actor adopted Dennis Quaid the black cat from the Lynchburg Humane Society, local Virginia news station WSLS reported at the time. "It was really off the wall, but I just couldn't resist. I had to," the actor told WSLS. "I'm out to save all the Dennis Quaids of the world." Kamala Harris Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) debates U.S. Vice President Mike Pence at the University of Utah on October 7, 2020 in Salt Lake City, Utah. This is the only scheduled debate between the two before the general election on November 3. Morry Gash-Pool/Getty Images Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence's Wednesday night in the 2020 vice presidential debate featured far fewer fireworks though plenty of conflict than the previous debate featuring the candidates at the top of the ticket. But while Pence wasn't as aggressive as President Donald Trump, who shouted and interrupted former Vice President Joe Biden constantly, he similarly abused the rules. He interrupted Harris multiple times, quite rudely, while she was far more deferential to the limitations. He also frequently spoke over his allotted time, leading him to speak over USA Today's Susan Page, the moderator. Overall, it wasn't a pretty picture for Pence, as he was consistently talking over women out of turn. Harris performed reasonably well in standing up to Pence, frequently countering his lies and subverting his attempts to interrupt her. But she also passed by many opportunities to hit the vice president on the failures of the president and the administration that a more skilled debater might have taken advantage of. Here are five standout moments from the debate: Related Articles "He has been a complete disgrace": Regretful Trump voter disgusted by his handling of COVID-19 Leaked documents expose plans to "slow mail processing" ahead of Election Day 1. Harris comes out swinging Harris: They knew and they covered it up pic.twitter.com/AKiSDy23ED Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) October 8, 2020 The senator started out strong, attacking Pence and the administration on their failure of a response to the pandemic. She pointed out that the administration could and did know how bad the outbreak could be back in January but still took insufficient steps to fight it. Despite his attempts to dodge her attacks, Pence was never really able to provide a compelling explanation of why the administration's efforts should be seen as acceptable or adequate, let alone impressive, given the results. Story continues 2. Pence comes out lying Pence falsely claims Trump "suspended all travel from China." Trump imposed a partial travel restriction that made multiple exemptions - for citizens, permanent residents, many of their family members. Actual flights from China were not suspended. Daniel Dale (@ddale8) October 8, 2020 Pence responded to Harris's attack by echoing many of the president's false and misleading claims about the pandemic. Most prominently, he falsely said Trump "suspended all travel from China" at the start of the outbreak. While Trump did place restrictions on the travel at the end of January, thousands of people were still able to make the journey to the United States and potentially bring virus. Clearly, the virus still made it to the U.S., and the administration was unprepared for its arrival. The vice president also attacked Biden, falsely, claiming Biden opposed the "ban," though there's no evidence he did so. Harris never corrected this misinformation, though. 3. "Mr. Vice President, I'm speaking." Multiple times during the event, Harris effectively silenced Pence's interruptions with a calm but stern "Mr. Vice President, I'm speaking." It was extremely effective and put Pence on the defensive. 4. "They're coming for you" "If you have a preexisting condition -- heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer -- they're coming for you" -- Kamala Harris pic.twitter.com/zNwd6IrKhA Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 8, 2020 Harris was at her strongest when she was talking into the camera and attacking the administration's policies. Despite Trump and Pence's false claims to the contrary, she correctly pointed out that they're trying to strip health care and protections from millions of Americans. Since Democrats are more trusted on health care than Republicans, this was likely an effective line of attack. 5. Pence gets cut off Pence is finally cut off pic.twitter.com/tLGBHnqV95 Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) October 8, 2020 Page let Pence get away with far too much speaking out of turn, but eventually she clearly got frustrated and cut him off. Bonus: A fly lands on Pence's head. And stays there. Related Articles Minnesota's secretary of state is "worried" about a "coordinated effort" to undermine voting by mail Pork sliders sold by Republican House candidate who supports QAnon gave customers diarrhea: records A fly lands on Vice President Pence during #VPDebate. pic.twitter.com/i0O2K6N9Yy CSPAN (@cspan) October 8, 2020 The fact that this moment got so much attention might tell us a lot about how much (or more accurately, how little) effect the debate will likely have on the state of the race. 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. (CNN) The Manhattan district attorney can obtain US President Donald Trump's tax returns a federal appeals court ruled, dealing the president another setback in his effort to shield his tax returns from prosecutors but the case is heading to the US Supreme Court in a further delay of the investigation. In a 35-page opinion, the US Second Circuit Court of Appeals broadly rejected the President's arguments that the state grand jury subpoena to his long-time accounting firm for his financial and tax records was overly broad and issued in bad faith. "There is nothing to suggest that these are anything but run-of-the-mill documents typically relevant to a grand jury investigation into possible financial or corporate misconduct," the judges ruled. "We have considered all of the President's remaining contentions on appeal and have found in them no basis for reversal," the ruling said. The panel of three judges dismissed the president's lawsuit with prejudice, which means he cannot revive it on these grounds. The tax returns and other financial records will not immediately be turned over to prosecutors. The appeals court stayed the enforcement of the subpoena based on a joint agreement between the Manhattan district attorney and the President's legal team. Under that arrangement, there is a 12-day briefing schedule for Trump to ask the Supreme Court to stay the ruling enforcing the subpoena. The timetable suggests it is unlikely that the district attorney will obtain the records before the presidential election. Jay Sekulow, a lawyer for the President, said Wednesday that they would ask the Supreme Court to stay the ruling. A spokesman for Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance declined to comment. A representative for the Justice Department said it is reviewing the ruling. The lawsuit was the latest attempt by the President to try to block the subpoena to Mazars USA following a Supreme Court ruling this summer that said the President did not have broad immunity from a state grand jury subpoena. Following that ruling, the President's lawyers amended their lawsuit against the district attorney alleging the subpoena was too broad and issued in bad faith in an effort to harass the president. US District Court Judge Victor Marrero rejected those arguments last month and Trump's attorneys appealed. Trump's lawyers argued the district attorney's investigation was limited to hush-money payments Michael Cohen made to cover up Trump's alleged affairs and that the subpoena, which seeks personal and business records dating back to January 2011, was too broad. Trump's attorneys argued the district attorney's investigation was limited based on an earlier subpoena it sent to the Trump Organization that only referenced the hush money payments. The appeals court rejected Trump's argument saying it was "nothing more than implausible speculation." "It is far from reasonable to infer that a single subpoena would define the entire scope of a grand jury's investigation, particularly in complex financial investigations," the judges wrote. In court filings, the district attorney's office said the investigation was much broader than those payments and suggested it could encompass tax fraud, bank fraud and insurance fraud. In anticipation that the appeals court would reject the President's legal arguments, lawyers for both sides agreed to hold off on enforcing the subpoena to allow the President's lawyers to ask the Supreme Court to "stay" the ruling. Under the agreement, which the appeals court endorsed, the President's lawyers have five calendar days to file a motion with the Supreme Court seeking a stay of subpoena. The district attorney would have five days to file a reply brief and the President's lawyers would have two days to respond. Five Supreme Court Justices are required to agree to grant a stay. The court currently has eight members following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Republicans in Congress are pushing to confirm Trump's nominee Amy Coney Barrett to fill the seat in the next few weeks. If the Supreme Court doesn't grant the stay it is possible Trump's lawyers would still ask the court to hear the case on the merits, but at that point the subpoena would be enforced and the documents turned over to investigators. If the court grants the stay then the legal battle over the subpoena would continue beyond the election. CNN's Evan Perez and Ariane De Vouge contributed to this report. This story was first published on CNN.com "Subpoena for Trump tax returns heading back to Supreme Court after President dealt another setback" West Bengal: BJP workers clash with police during march to state secretariat; pistol seized BJP activists march towards State Secretariat Nabanna after breaking through barricades during a protest against worsening law and order in the state, in Howrah on Thursday, Hindustan Times, Kolkata : Hundreds of workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its youth wing, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), clashed with police on Thursday afternoon when they were stopped from proceeding towards Nabanna, the state secretariat in West Bengal's Howrah district, as it was in violation of the prohibitory orders in place. The BJYM had organised 'Nabanna Chalo' (March to Nabanna) in protest against issues ranging from alleged lack of employment opportunities in Bengal to law and order problems. However, the government did not give permission for the agitation. Also, Section 144 of CrPC is imposed in and around Nabanna throughout the year. Around 2 pm, there was chaos on the streets in parts of central Kolkata and Howrah as BJP and BJYM workers clashed with the police. They hurled brickbats; bombs also went off at two locations in Howrah district although it was not clear who hurled them. In Kolkata, police used water cannons, using a purple dye for the first time to mark the agitators, and resorted to baton charge at Howrah bridge, Hastings, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Burrabazar and Brabourne Road. A pistol was also seized from a BJP worker in Howrah. Axne the right choice for longtime independent I have voted entirely independent for 56 years, and feel strongly that both national parties have a great deal of room for improvement. That said, I believe that Rep. Cindy Axne has done an excellent and unusually credible job of serving her constituents and our nation in her first term. Her positions are thoughtful, consistent and well supported by solid research. She listens and learns from her constituents and deals honestly and clearly with complex questions and issues. As we each mark our ballots in perhaps the single most important election of our lifetimes, I sincerely invite you to join me in supporting Cindy. Thanks for your time and consideration. David Holcomb Council Bluffs Jacobsen has been outstanding in legislature My name is Steve Rubes and I have been an attorney practicing in Council Bluffs and southwest Iowa since 1983. During that time I have gotten to know Jon Jacobsen professionally and personally. His work as a representative in the Iowa Legislature has been outstanding, from his work helping to get funding to rebuild the levees after the flooding in southwest Iowa to his efforts to balance the state budget to the point we now have a surplus. He helped pass legislation lowering insurance premiums and passing a law to protect whistleblowers who report wrongdoing by employers. I wish we had more public servants that worked so hard for their constituents. Jon is an outstanding attorney as well, and brings the same meticulous attention to his work in the legislature that he has always evinced in his profession. Jon loves Iowa and the people who live and work here. It is without hesitation that I support Jon Jacobsen for the Iowa House, and urge you to vote for him too. Steve Rubes Malvern Jacobsen is the best legislator we have Jon Jacobsen is honest, capable, and the best legislator we have. Re-elect him. Shannon Rubes Malvern Axne doesnt show up for work When Iowans hire someone for a job, theyre expected to show up to work. It was that way when I grew up on the farm and when I worked at the USDA. I instilled in my own children the ethic of showing up for work. Its what Iowans do. Thats why I find it so concerning Cindy Axne isnt showing up for work. In May, Cindy Axne went along with Nancy Pelosi in changing the rules of the House of Representatives to allow proxy voting meaning they can have someone vote on their behalf and in essence voted to allow herself to skip work. No Republicans voted for it. Axne has used this rule multiple times to skip work. She wasnt there when the House debated and voted on the George Floyd policing reform bill, statehood for Washington D.C. which would add 2 more senators to the United States Senate, or on a post office funding bill even though days before she publicly called for U.S. Postmaster Louis DeJoy to resign. She also hasnt been honest with who she allowed to vote for her Jamie Raskin. He is a far-left Congressman from Maryland. I dont know if he has ever stepped foot in the state of Iowa. Raskin opposes the Electoral College, which gives Iowa a voice in presidential elections, supports the Green New Deal, Medicare-for-All and defunding the police. Those arent the values of this district. To top it off, she never told her constituents she was taking advantage of the proxy vote to not show up, nor did she tell us why she skipped work. Every one of us would be expected to call in and let our employer know and the reason why we couldnt make it to work. Cindy Axne owed it to her constituents her employers to be upfront with us about it, but she didnt. As a constituent of Cindy Axne, I expect my representatives to show up and do the basic duty of their job to vote. Iowa has a good track record of producing people who do such as Sen. Chuck Grassley and David Young. Iowans should expect better out of Cindy Axne, and if she doesnt want to do the job, we should send someone who will. Thomas C. Dorr Former Under Secretary for Rural Development, U.S.D.A. West Des Moines Remembering the pledge I keep hearing everything has been politicized. I disagree. It is much more than politicization. It is an assault on the fond memories of those of us that are old enough to have such recollections.. Kindergarten through 12 grade education years, friendships with World War II veterans and their children has been a source of solace for me during this past four years of hair on fire turmoil. The North Eighth Street grade school, kindergarten/grade eight, was just one and a half blocks from home. Walking to school along with my siblings was easy. Going home for a hot lunch meal was normal. Each class room had an American flag displayed proudly above the blackboard behind the teachers desk. We started each day by placing our right hands over our hearts as we pledged allegiance to the flag. Silent prayers were often part of the morning schedule. My special memory is having watched our school janitor, Mr. Schultze, raise and lower the American flag on the 40-foot tall flagpole erect on the Eighth Street curb area. The flag looked especially spectacular on windy days! During preteen years my neighbors included Mr. Parker, a World War II veteran having served in the Pacific theater, and Capt. Eldon Winger from the Council Bluffs police force. My siblings and I always addressed adults as Mr. or Mrs. The neighborhood grouches were also Mr. or Mrs. even after their get off my lawn or quiet down admonishments. The one exception was Capt. Winger. He was always Capt. Winger in my world. He raised and sold parakeets from his basement. The multi-colored parakeets were visible by looking through his basement window adjacent to an alley. His only rule was to not knock on the window because it caused a bird frenzy. We always complied. The current and ongoing disrespect for the American flag as well as the outright hostility towards our police is disheartening and disgraceful. For those resorting to such behavior, I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all Ken Lane Council Bluffs President has had almost four years to lead and has failed us President Donald Trump, you have had almost four years to lead the United States and have failed us by your own choosing. Whether it be in foreign policy and domestic policy you have not protected the United States as commander-in-chief. Now comes the latest news about your complete disrespect for our military and total disregard for the COVID-19 virus. We the American people have finally borne witness to what happens when they place an incompetent business leader into the Oval Office. Quality of life is not a business decision sir, but rather it is a humane choice to be empathetic to those who cannot help themselves. Joe Biden has that empathy and will return the United States to the era when we were respected internationally because of how we treat our citizens domestically. This election is a clear choice between those who have never had it so good and those of us who know we can do better. Joe Biden will lead us there. Fellow citizens, exercise your right to vote to preserve your sacred heritage, promote your childrens future and obtain the blessings of liberty we all cherish. To restore a sense of decency to the United States rise and vote! Joe Bialek Cleveland, Ohio Vote to protect Social Security In Iowa, early voting started Oct. 5 by absentee ballot and in person. Voters have different opinions and vote accordingly. I would remind everyone that President Donald Trump and Sen. Joni Ernst have both stated they want to privatize Social Security. This may not matter if you have a healthy trust fund, but if you have worked for many years to acquire a retirement fund, you may need your Social Security. Evaluate what the loss of this security means to most of us. Money invested in the stock market is subject to ups and downs that can happen over night. Remember 2008? I lost half of my retirement that I had conscientiously tucked away for my retirement. It was gone, like it had evaporated (it did). I had several more working years to recover, and was thankful I didnt have to count on those missing funds. Not paying FICA payroll taxes sounds really good but those funds HAVE to be repaid, and it WILL be taken out of your paycheck next year. Still sound good? Those funds pay for Social Security. If you are independently wealthy, this doesnt matter. If you have worked all your life for less than six figures it should. Jan Patterson Marion Taxes, for suckers and losers If President Donald Trump, who in 2015 claimed to be worth over $10 billion, could pay no federal income tax for many years, and only $750 per year for 2016 and 2017, typical taxpayers should rightfully feel like suckers and losers. Those are terms that Trump reportedly used for Americans who died in war, as he apparently couldnt understand what was in it for them. Does anyone seriously believe that he has a higher regard for Americans who dutifully pay taxes? So, with Trump as our leader, heres a proposal: Change our federal income tax system to allow taxpayers to simply elect to pay $750 a year. Call it the Trump alternative tax. Note that, relative to income, almost all taxpayers would still be paying more than Trump himself. Of course, this is preposterous. The government would quickly go broke. But its not much more preposterous than Trump calling the New York Times report on his taxes totally fake, while refusing to disclose his tax returns, saying theyre under audit. He could lawfully have disclosed those returns any time. The fact that he hasnt speaks volumes. Most Trump supporters are paying taxes at a much higher tax rate than Trump himself. Should they seriously believe that Trump doesnt privately regard them as suckers and losers? David J. Roberts Associate Professor Emeritus of Accountancy DePaul University Chicago THE lives of Zimbabweans matter more than the economy which is why the Second Republic put in place measures that have seen the country managing to ensure that Covid-19 infections do not spiral out of control, President Mnangagwa has said. On the global Covid-19 index, the President said, Zimbabwe is on number 132 while countries like the United States of America which have resources to mitigate against the spread of the virus have been hard hit by the pandemic. President Mnangagwa said his Government decided to put the lives of people first ahead of the economy fully aware that after winning the fight against the pandemic, the people can work on reviving the economy. He was speaking during the commissioning a state-of-the-art private ward as Zvishavane District Hospital and Zvishavane Vocational Training Centre hostels constructed by mining giant Mimosa Mine to the tune of about US$1 million in Zvishavane yesterday. I would like to mention that yesterday (Tuesday) in Cabinet, my Minister responsible for the mobilisation of materials and resources against the pandemic, Honourable (Orpah) Muchinguri was briefing us about the index, world index of how countries are coping and responding to the pandemic. We were informed that number one is the worst and number 138 is the best, So number one was America, number two Brazil, number three India, number four Russia, number five United Kingdom, number six I think its Spain and then number seven the first African country, South Africa. I think you are interested in knowing where Zimbabwe is. We are number 132, he said, amid applause from the delegates and Cabinet Ministers as well as Vice-President and Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Constantino Chiwenga. But looking at the resources at the disposal of the first world, looking at the standard of health care of the first world, in comparison to the level of health care and health facility in developing countries like Zimbabwe, one would have expected that the pandemic would be more devastating in countries like Zimbabwe where we have very poor, undeveloped health care. But because, we as a Government decided that lives are more important to preserve than the preservation of economic activities, if we succeed to preserve the lives of our people, close the pandemic, we should be able to stick around and say how do we resuscitate our economy? Therefore, the Second Republic will never, never abandon the cardinal principle of recognising the fact that lives are more important and everything must be done to preserve lives. As at October 2, Zimbabwes cumulative cases of Covid-19 stood at 7 858, with 6 322 recoveries and 228 deaths. 6 484 of the cases are local transmissions. There were 50 new cases in week 39, compared to the 174 cases recorded in week 38. President Mnangagwa commended Mimosa Mine for funding the construction of the two projects. Sadly, however, we are witnessing this milestone achievement following the passing on of Mr Alex Mushoriwa who was the general manager at Mimosa Mine and very instrumental in spearheading this project. On behalf of the Government and my own behalf, I wish to express my heartfelt condolences to the Mushoriwa family, Mimosa Mine, relatives and friends for the loss. May his soul rest in eternal peace, he said. Mr Mushoriwa died two weeks ago following a short illness. President Mnangagwa said his administration values partnerships with all stakeholders in the implementation of people centered projects. The modernisation and improvement in the quality of life of our people is indeed a collective responsibility, not government responsibility alone. Individually and collectively, as a nation we have got that responsibility. These completed projects by Mimosa are an answer to the call by my Government for the private sector to be actively involved in the actualisation of vision 2030 and the realisation of development which leaves no one behind, said President Mnangagwa. He said the handover of the Zvishavane District Hospitals private hospital ward comes at an opportune time as the country is still faced with containing Covid-19 pandemic as well as revitalising the health delivery system as a whole. The refurbished and fully equipped private ward, President Mnangagwa said, will undoubtedly provide quality specialist health care services previously only available in the big cities. Since I come from very near here, Im very happy that the ward can be very useful to me. I congratulate and commend you for bringing this critical infrastructure development closer to the people. Furthermore, I applaud Mimosa for responding to the Governments call in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic. The company is praised for facilitating the establishment of isolation and treatment centres at Gweru and Masvingo provincial hospitals as well as at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport. Im informed that Mimosa Mining Company in conjunction with Murowa Diamond Company rehabilitated Lundi Rural Healthcare Isolation Centre. We thank the two companies for that initiative. The Covid-19 pandemic is still with us, I repeat, the Covid-19 pandemic is still with us. I see that all the people I can see have masks. I dont know if its because Im around, but if you put them on even when I am not here with my Minister, that is the correct thing to do, he said. Herald Exclusive: Boeing in talks with Alaska Airlines for potential 737 MAX order - sources FILE PHOTO: FAA Chief Steve Dickson takes off in a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in Seattle By Eric M. Johnson and Tracy Rucinski SEATTLE/CHICAGO (Reuters) - Boeing Co is in discussions to sell 737 MAX jets to Alaska Airlines once the plane returns to service following a lengthy grounding, three people familiar with the matter said. The talks are part of a series of negotiations between Boeing and several airlines over jet orders or compensation after the 737 MAX was banned worldwide following two fatal crashes. Boeing and Alaska Airlines, which is part of Alaska Air Group Inc , declined to comment. Any deal would be subject to U.S. Federal Aviation Administration approval of proposed 737 MAX safety upgrades. Boeing shares were up 1.6% at $167.22 on Thursday afternoon, while Alaska Air stock was up 4.1% at $38.54. Alaska Airlines already had ordered 37 of the jets before the grounding. If confirmed, a new order from such a major carrier would give Boeing's 737 MAX a sorely needed commercial boost as the U.S. planemaker tries to move beyond a crisis that has hammered its finances. It would also mark a post-crisis test of the balance of power between Boeing and Airbus . The European planemaker is battling to keep a foothold in Alaska Airlines, which had operated an all-Boeing fleet until it acquired Virgin America in 2016. However, any new deal between Alaska Airlines and Boeing is expected to include significant discounts given the MAX's woes and plunging demand for airplanes during the coronavirus crisis, industry sources said. It was not immediately clear how many jets it may buy. The talks are among several discussions Boeing is having with airlines, hoping to stimulate demand for the jet when it returns to the air. Analysts caution cutting prices too far could rattle some existing customers. After months of delays, and pending approval of design and operational changes, Boeing expects to resume 737 MAX deliveries to airlines before year-end in the United States. Seattle-based Alaska Airlines flies 166 older Boeing 737s and 71 Airbus A320-family aircraft. It has one of the strongest balance sheets among U.S. airlines and analysts believe it could emerge from the pandemic crisis in a competitive position relative to its peers. Boeing is also negotiating with Irish budget carrier Ryanair , one of its largest customers, over compensation for delays in MAX deliveries and a potential new order. (Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle and Tracy Rucinski in Chicago; Editing by David Gregorio and Matthew Lewis) 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. The public hearing will be readvertised for the Oct. 20 council meeting. Deadline for the council to approve the budget is Nov. 1. If a new budget is not approved and sent to the Indiana State Board of Accounts by that date, the 2020 budget will remain in place for the next year. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 17:58:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SANAA, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths on Thursday called on Yemeni parties to stop fighting in the port city of Hodeidah and respect a cease-fire agreement. "This military escalation not only constitutes a violation of the Hodeidah cease-fire agreement but runs against the spirit of the ongoing UN-facilitated negotiations that aim to achieve a nationwide cease-fire, humanitarian and economic measures and the resumption of the political process," Griffiths said in a statement. "I call on them to immediately stop the fighting, respect the commitments they made under the Stockholm agreement, and engage with the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement's joint implementation mechanisms," he added. Griffiths expressed his deep concern over "the reports of a number of casualties among the civilian population, including women and children." The port city Hodeidah, a vital lifeline for millions facing starvation, has seen a shaky cease-fire between the government and the Houthi rebels since they reached a UN-sponsored truce in Stockholm in December 2018. The truce was seen as the first phase toward a nationwide cease-fire to end Yemen's more than five years of civil war. Hodeidah is under the control of the Houthis, while the government forces have advanced to the southern and eastern districts. Both sides have been blaming each other for truce breaches and military escalation. Yemen has been mired in civil war since late 2014, when the Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa. The United Nations is trying to end the conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and pushed the Arab country to the brink of famine. Enditem Photograph: Yuki Iwamura/Reuters New rules putting parts of New York City back into lockdown amid a rise in fresh coronavirus cases have been met with protests as Andrew Cuomo was accused of using dangerous and divisive language against Orthodox Jews. On Wednesday night groups of Orthodox people in Brooklyn and some of their community leaders gathered in the streets, some not wearing masks and some bearing pro-Donald Trump signs. An Orthodox journalist covering the events later said he was attacked by an angry mob. Jacob Kornbluh said that he was called a Nazi and Hitler as they chased after him down the streets. I was just brutally assaulted, hit in the head, and kicked at by an angry crowd of hundreds of community members, he tweeted. A photographer had been assaulted at a protest the previous night. Related: Coronavirus: Andrew Cuomo blames Donald Trump for 'worst failure since Pearl Harbor' The New York state governor announced on Tuesday that parts of the city would go back into full or partial lockdown as he unveiled a color-coded cluster initiative closing non-essential businesses, schools and limiting capacity of places of worship in the worst-affected areas. The scheme, designed to target Covid-19 hotspots where infection rates have significantly increased, will send some neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Queens and the northern suburbs including some with sizable Orthodox populations back into lockdown on Thursday. According to state figures, there is overall infection rate of 5.1% in the hotspots five times the rate of the statewide rate of 1.05%. Announcing the new rules, Cuomo singled out houses of worship as one of the places where the virus is most likely to spread. He then went on to talk about Orthodox Jewish residents, saying: Many of these communities have a large Orthodox population I understand the imposition this is going to place on them, and I said to them I need their cooperation. Hours after the announcement, protests erupted in Borough Park, one of the Brooklyn neighborhoods set to fall under the new restrictions, and demonstrators started fires in the street. Videos on social media show hundreds of people, many without masks, gathering close together in the street and some burning face masks. Story continues Separately, four Orthodox Jewish lawmakers released a statement saying they were appalled by Governor Cuomos words and actions and describing the shutdown, which comes during Jewish holidays, as scientifically and constitutionally questionable. Governor Cuomos choice to single out a particular religious group, complete with a slideshow of photos to highlight his point, was outrageous. His language was dangerous and divisive, said New York state senator Simcha Felder, New York state assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein and councilmen Kalman Yeger and Chaim Deutsch. They added. His rhetoric in recent days has been irresponsible and pejorative, particularly to a community of Holocaust survivors and their descendants. Responding to the criticism , Cuomo appeared to double down on his original comments. He said: To the extent there are communities that are upset, thats because they havent been following the original rules, and thats why the infection spread because they werent following the rules and the rules werent being enforced. The move comes after days of conflicting public messages from the governor and the New York city mayor, Bill de Blasio who throughout the pandemic have at times had a fractious relationship over whether there would be a second targeted shutdown and if so how it would work. De Blasio first aired a plan to shutdown non-essential businesses and schools in Covid hotspots according to zip code on Sunday, but following intervention from Cuomo whose jurisdiction the ultimate decision comes under only the schools shutdown went ahead, starting on Tuesday. Following review from the state, Cuomo later announced that non-essential businesses in hotspot areas would close after all, but not based on their zip code. De Blasio warned on Wednesday that the city faces a couple of tough weeks ahead and said the next few weeks would be critical. He also urged New Yorkers to speak up against coronavirus denialists. He said the hotspot neighborhoods were selected based on data and science and that the new rules would be enforced by New York police. We want to be respectful, but I want to be very clear when the NYPD issues an instruction people must follow the instruction. If they dont follow the instruction, then they are liable for whatever consequences occur. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-09 00:45:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Issa Konfourou, Malian permanent representative to the United Nations, addresses the Security Council meeting on the situation in Mali at the UN headquarters in New York, on Oct. 8, 2020. The Security Council on Thursday returned to its own chamber for an in-person meeting, the first time in almost seven months after a lockdown from the coronavirus. (Evan Schneider/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council on Thursday returned to its own chamber for an in-person meeting, the first time in almost seven months after a lockdown from the coronavirus. At the beginning of the meeting on Mali, Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, who chaired the meeting as president of the Security Council for the month of October, thanked council members for agreeing to return to the venue. The last meeting held in the Security Council Chamber was on March 12 during China's council presidency. Since then, all meetings went remote for four months before the council began to hold sporadic in-person meetings in the larger Economic and Social Council Chamber during Germany's council presidency. As a precautionary measure, partitions were installed between the seats of the delegations in the Security Council Chamber. All participants were asked to wear masks. During Thursday's meeting, only one representative for each delegation was sitting at the horseshoe-shaped table, leaving the two rows of blue seats behind them empty. The only exception was the presidency spot, where two seats were taken. Several representatives kept their masks on even when they were making statements. Several speakers thanked the Russian delegation for bringing the council back to its chamber. Despite the reopening of the Security Council Chamber, the council will still be holding virtual meetings, especially for the open debates, which may involve high-level turnout, said Nebenzia last week. New York's current travel requirement of a 14-day quarantine makes foreign dignitaries virtually impossible to attend in-person meetings at UN Headquarters. The virtual mode forced the Security Council to shift to interim procedures for the conduct of its business, including how the agenda was agreed on and how resolutions were adopted. No interpretation between languages was made available in the virtual meetings. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow 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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 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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 Henson was nominated for an Oscar for 2008s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. She also won critical acclaim for 2016s Hidden Figures, about three African American mathematicians at NASA who played a key role in the early days of the U.S. space program, and won a 2016 Golden Globe for her role as Cookie Lyon in televisions Empire series. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), right, gives moderator Judi Gatson an elbow bump after debating Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison on Saturday in Columbia, S.C. (Meg Kinnard / Associated Press) The Confederate flag flew over the state Capitol here until just five years ago. No Democrat has been elected statewide for more than two decades. President Trump won the state by 14 percentage points in 2016. But in conservative South Carolina, the most unlikely battleground in Republicans struggle to retain control of the Senate, Sen. Lindsey Graham is in the fight of his career. He's counting on Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court and the hearings he'll preside over as Senate Judiciary Committee chair, starting Monday to act as a political lifeline, uniting conservatives behind him. Polls show the three-term GOP senator in a dead heat with his opponent, Jaime Harrison, who is reaping a windfall of contributions from donors across the country. The astonishing $57 million Harrison raised in the last three months was more than any Senate candidate had ever raised in one quarter. In another sign of how nationalized the race has become, as of August, both candidates had raised more money in California than in their home state. The battle pits one of President Trumps most loyal allies against a young Black Democrat who, if he won, would make this racially polarized state the first to have two Black senators (the other is GOP Sen. Tim Scott). Graham sees his reelection struggle as payback for his role in advancing Brett M. Kavanaugh onto the Supreme Court two years ago and helping Trump cement a conservative judicial majority. This isnt about Jaime Harrison, Graham said when the candidates debated here Saturday. It's about liberals hating my guts when I stood up for Kavanaugh and tried to help Trump. This election is about trying to take me out. But Grahams problem is not just that Democrats have turned Harrison into a national cause celebre. He has also struggled to rally his own party. In the last four years, he's flip-flopped from one of Trump's most vociferous critics into an ally so close that Graham was one of the first senators to talk to Trump after he tested positive for COVID-19. The abrupt shift has exacted a political price. Story continues Now, in an era when few voters split their tickets, Grahams fortunes hinge heavily on Trumps. Because Trump remains popular in South Carolina, he continues to have a strong shot. But even here, Democratic nominee Joe Biden has gained ground. With Graham running a few points behind Trump in polls, the outcome of the Senate contest remains in doubt. Graham's reliance on the Barrett nomination to solidify his conservative support was obvious in his debate with Harrison, as he repeatedly mentioned his role in shepherding the nomination even in response to a question on another topic. "If you want conservative judges, I'm your only bet in this race," he said. Graham also warned conservatives that his reelection was key to continuing GOP control of the Senate. The nightmare scenario for our state is if they keep the House, take over the Senate and Biden is president: God help us all, Graham said. At another point, he referred to Democrats as "nuts." Harrison, former chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party, has run a policy-light campaign that highlights his life story. Raised in poverty in rural South Carolina by his grandparents, he won a scholarship to Yale, became a lawyer, then joined the world of lobbying and Democratic politics. Ive lived the American dream, Harrison said at the debate. Harrison has been helped by the surge of activism among voters of color that has lifted many Black candidates this year amid a national reckoning over racism. Jaime is the best Democratic candidate anyone has seen here in a long time, said Matt Moore, former South Carolina GOP chairman. He is running in a cultural moment that seeks to rectify many old wrongs, and the moderate voters recognize that fact. Harrison has broken state fundraising records. His campaign has spent more than $46 million on television ads this year as of early October more than three times as much as Graham, according to Advertising Analytics. Harrison has so clogged South Carolina airwaves that, in one ad-packed hour on a local station recently, the same Harrison ad ran twice, back to back. Harrison said he sees his success so far as a sign of a "New South" more welcoming to Democratic candidates. "When you invest in candidates and actually put candidates on the field who reflect the values and talk about the issues that are important to people, you can compete," Harrison said in a phone interview from his home in Columbia. "We have to stop neglecting the South." But his challenge may end up being like Stacey Abrams Georgia gubernatorial bid and Beto ORourkes Texas Senate challenge in 2018 well-funded and surprisingly strong Democratic efforts that fell a few points short. Voters of color make up about 30% of South Carolina's electorate and are overwhelmingly Democratic. The state's white majority has been heavily Republican for years. To win, a Democrat needs a large turnout of Black voters plus something close to 4 in 10 white voters. In a state where voting along racial lines has long been the norm, the math is tough. Part of what has helped Harrison is Grahams maneuvering to adapt to the Trump era: No other Republican has executed a Trump-era transformation as eye-catching and vividly documented. When he ran for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, Graham called Trump a race-baiting, xenophobic religious bigot and unfit for office. That fueled conservative suspicions that were already high because of Graham's record as a dealmaking pragmatist and a sidekick of maverick GOP Sen. John McCain of Arizona. Graham changed his stand after Trump won and McCain died. He explains his conversion as an act of pragmatism. So, I lost, and he won, Graham said this summer at a campaign office. "I like the direction President Trump has taken us, on policy, and I think the people of South Carolina did not want me to take my ball and go home. In 2018, Graham thrilled conservatives and appalled liberals with a lacerating Judiciary Committee speech defending Kavanaugh against allegations that he assaulted Christine Blasey Ford when they were teenagers. In pushing the Barrett nomination, Graham has abandoned the view he held in 2016, when he joined other Republicans to block President Obama's nominee, Merrick Garland, because it was an election year. Graham pledged then and again in 2018 that he would be consistent and oppose confirming a court nominee in an election year even with Trump as president. Use my words against me, he said. Harrison and his allies have taken him up on that. Then-and-now footage of Graham statements has been a staple of Harrison campaign ads. Anti-Graham demonstrators outside the debate dressed up as a pair of flip-flops. "A man is only as good as his word, Harrison said at the debate. Grahams support among Republicans still lags. In his February 2020 GOP primary, Graham drew just 68% of the vote against three little-known protest candidates. In a recent Morning Consult poll, 84% of Republicans backed Graham; 94% backed Trump. Among Democrats, 95% supported Harrison. But many Republicans predict party ranks will close rather than risk a Democratic takeover of the Senate. A lot of Republicans are going to go into the voting booth, hold their nose and vote for Lindsey," said Pressley Stutts, a tea party leader in Greenville who voted against Graham in the primary but will back him in November. People in South Carolina have loved him and hated him through the years, said Stephanie Rawlinson, a GOP activist in Florence, who expressed gratitude to Graham for helping her family recover from a car accident in 2017. Hes always had my back. Still, Grahams alliance with Trump is costing him support among voters such as Dick Wilkerson, a former backer who liked the pragmatic Graham of yore. I dont support him today because of the man that he has become, Wilkerson, past chairman of Greenville-based Michelin North America, said in an ad for Harrison. In a boost, Graham recently picked up the endorsement of Bill Bledsoe, a Spartanburg veterinarian running on the Constitution Party line who was appealing to disaffected conservatives. I was running because I was disgruntled with Lindsey Graham," Bledsoe said in an interview. But I didnt want to take any votes from Sen. Graham. However, Bledsoe could still attract protest votes because his name remains on the ballot. One of the Republicans who ran against Graham in the primary remains unpersuaded. I won't vote for him, said Joe Reynolds, an engineer in the U.S. Merchant Marine. Reynolds, who drew 9% of the vote in the GOP primary, says he worries about the Republican Party losing support from moderates and suburban women. We behave as if it's all about Trump all the time, he said in an email from a ship at sea. It's a dead end if you ask me. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Kentuckys attorney general wants Taylor grand jury testimony and proceedings kept from the public. In a new motion filed Wednesday, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron is asking a judge to allow him to keep secret the testimony and proceedings of the grand jury in the Breonna Taylor case. Cameron had until Wednesday to respond to the motion from a member of the grand jury for the transcripts to be released and for the unidentified juror to be able to speak to the public. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron speaks at the Sept. 23rd press conference to announce a grand jurys decision to indict one of three Louisville Metro Police Department officers involved in the March shooting death of Breonna Taylor. (Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images) The juror has requested a release of the recordings, transcripts and reports related to the case the Republican attorney general presented to them. In responding to the filing, Cameron wrote that allowing this disclosure would irreversibly alter Kentuckys legal system by making it difficult for prosecutors and the public to have confidence in the secrecy of the grand jury process going forward. Read More: Daniel Cameron blasts Megan Thee Stallion as disgusting for calling him out during SNL performance Oral arguments for the case are scheduled for today. Audio recordings of the proceedings were released earlier this month as ordered by a judge. In a statement upon their release, Cameron wrote, Im confident that once the public listens to the recordings, they will see that our team presented a thorough case to the Jefferson County Grand Jury. Read More: Grand jury audio details raid that killed Breonna Taylor Our presentation followed the facts and the evidence, and the Grand Jury was given a complete picture of the events surrounding Ms. Taylors death on March 13th, he contended. While it is unusual for a court to require the release of the recordings from Grand Jury proceedings, we complied with the order, rather than challenging it, so that the full truth can be heard. In his motion, Cameron referenced a similar filing by a grand juror in the case of the police shooting of Michael Brown in 2014. In that case, the court rejected the grand jurors request to be allowed to speak to the media. Story continues That case is still making its way through federal court. Read More: Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron responds to repugnant critics, defends his handling of the Breonna Taylor case One former Louisville officer, Det. Brett Hankison, was charged related to Taylors shooting death, and that wanton endangerment charge was for shooting into a neighbors home. The lack of indictments for the other two officers involved, Det. Miles Cosgrove and Sgt. John Mattingly, resulted in continued protests in Kentucky and around the country. Have you subscribed to theGrios Dear Culture podcast? Download our newest episodes now! TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. Download theGrio.today! The post Daniel Cameron files motion to keep Breonna Taylor grand jury files secret appeared first on TheGrio. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 22:11:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close -- Hundreds of millions in China have been on the move for family reunions and vacation during the National Day holiday that coincided with the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival this year as the country has brought the COVID-19 epidemic under control. -- The eight-day Golden Week holiday, closely watched as a barometer of the country's economic health, saw sizable domestic tourist visits as well as booming tourism revenue. -- The huge domestic market, expanding consumption and production during the holiday mirrored China's remarkable recovery from the epidemic and impressive economic resilience, gathering sound momentum for its economy to further perk up and offering a strong boost to global trade and the world economy. BEIJING, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's eight-day Golden Week holiday has reflected the country's impressive recovery and its economic bounce back from the COVID-19 epidemic, with more than half a billion people on the move for a long-awaited vacation and factories stepping up production to complete new orders. Amid regular epidemic control, the peak season of tourism-driven consumption boom for National Day celebration that coincides with the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival this year was also a test field for China's new economic development pattern of "dual circulation." As a pivotal part of the "dual circulation" development pattern floated by China's top leadership in May that encourages domestic and overseas markets to reinforce each other, the country's enormous market and expanding domestic demand during the holiday has gathered sound momentum for China's economy to further perk up. The total number of domestic tourists nationwide is previously expected to reach 550 million during the holiday, while statistics from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed that a sizable 618 million domestic tourist visits were made in the first seven days, generating overall tourism revenue of 454 billion yuan (about 66.9 billion U.S. dollars). In Wuhan, the heroic city once hard hit by coronavirus but has restored its vigor, visitors ambled by the Yellow Crane Tower as the historic building launched night tours for the first time since its opening to the public in 1985 after reconstruction. The landmark topped the "country's hottest scenic spots" rankings by China's largest online travel agency Trip.com Group. Tourists visit the Yellow Crane Tower during a night tour in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Oct. 3, 2020. (Xinhua/Feng Guodong) "The Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge is the same as usual, so is the roaring Yangtze flowing eastward," Wang Yu, a tourist from Hubei's Enshi City, said while enjoying a distant view on top of the tower. "What's different is the heavy traffic on the bridge and the passing cargo ships on the river. Wuhan returns to life!" Wang said. Top scenic sites in central China's Hubei Province received over 2.07 million visitors in the first seven days of the holiday, according to the provincial culture and tourism department, with 30 key scenic sites raking in 205 million yuan from Oct. 1 to Oct. 7. In Beijing, more than 90,000 people, standing in the drizzling autumn rain, gathered at Tian'anmen Square on Oct. 1 and burst into cheers as the five-starred red flag was hoisted to the top of the flagpole, accompanied by the national anthem. A flag-raising ceremony to celebrate the 71st anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China is held at the Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) According to the Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage, some 40 museums in the city have offered more than 100 special cultural activities for the holiday, with 13 museums extending opening hours or providing night-time activities on Oct. 1, on which the Mid-Autumn Festival fell. The Palace Museum, also known as the 600-year-old Forbidden City, raised for the third time its daily visitor cap up to 30,000 since it partially reopened from May 1. Unlike in previous years, some museums have moved part of their activities online while maintaining on-site visits to avoid crowd gathering during this year's Golden Week, said Li Yang with the administration. The Beijing Road pedestrian street in the southern city of Guangzhou, after two years of modification, took on a new look with full 5G coverage and attracted over 4 million visitors during the holiday, with a sales turnover of more than 600 million yuan, up 160 percent year on year. Tourists try to make mooncakes at Beijing Road pedestrian street in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei) In central China's Hunan Province, the temperature plunge did not restrain visitors' passion for Zhangjiajie, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its forest parks. The picturesque tourist spot received 1.8 million visitors in the first five days of the holiday, with total tourism revenue exceeding 1.3 billion yuan. "I made travel plans and booked the tickets before setting out," said Li Lin from Beijing who visited the Wulingyuan scenic area in Zhangjiajie. She was very much impressed by the smart face-scanning quick pass, noise-free wireless audio guide, clean and tidy tourist trails, as well as zero-contact customer services. "The distinctive scenery, good tourism facilities and services have offered me a great travel experience." Tourists visit the Wulingyuan scenic area in Zhangjiajie, central China's Hunan Province, Oct. 3, 2020. (Photo by Wu Yongbing/Xinhua) Chinese card payment giant China UnionPay saw its online payments go up by 9.6 percent year on year to 921.5 billion yuan during the first three days of the holiday, with payments over its network exceeding 330 billion yuan on Oct. 1, an increase of 15.5 percent over the same day of last year. Data from Alibaba's travel agency Fliggy showed that stimulated by the company's 10-billion-yuan subsidy campaign and coupons introduced by local governments to revive tourism, hotel bookings nationwide surged by more than 50 percent year on year during the holiday, while both air ticket and scenic spot bookings rose by 16 percent year on year. "In any year, the outlay of the weeklong holiday is a closely watched barometer of the country's economic health," the New York Times reported, noting that this year's holiday offered "the clearest measure yet of China's recovery from the pandemic." The huge consumption potential during the Golden Week will not only accelerate the recovery of China's domestic economy but also drive imports and investment from other countries, as the booming "holiday economy" fuels internal circulation and promotes external circulation at the meantime, offering a strong boost to global trade and the world economy. People enjoy a light show at the Bund in east China's Shanghai, Oct. 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Xiang) Gu Qingyang, an associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, noted that holiday consumption will help boost the service sector and promote more balanced development between other industries that bore the brunt of the epidemic. As transportation, tourism and other sectors witnessed unleashed domestic demand during the holiday, production and trade have also bounced with remarkable speed. With less than 500 days to go, construction of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics venues has entered the home stretch, with over 10,000 workers choosing to remain employed during the vacation. Construction workers are focusing on interior decorations and making ice at the National Speed Skating Oval, locally known as the "Ice Ribbon," which boasts the most extensive full ice design in Asia, with an ice surface area of 12,000 square meters. Song Jiafeng, executive deputy general manager of the National Speed Skating Oval, has spent the past three National Day holidays staying on position. "On every National Day we watch the live broadcast of the flag-raising ceremony at Tian'anmen Square, drawing strength to better devote ourselves to the construction work," Song said. Construction workers are busy at the construction site of the National Ski Jumping Center in Chongli District of Zhangjiakou City, north China's Hebei Province, Oct. 2, 2020. (Photo by Wu Diansen/Xinhua) Workers of the Guangzhou Lianrou Machinery and Equipment Co., Ltd., a mattress machine and spring mattress manufacturer in the Yunpu industrial area in Guangzhou, have spent their holiday working extra shifts for new orders. "It has been our busiest National Day holiday, our confirmed orders are scheduled until next February," said Tan Zhiming, vice chairman of the company. With 60 percent of its products sold overseas, Lianrou once saw its production capacity drop by 70 percent during the epidemic. The company's orders started to pick up in May, with orders in August and September doubled year on year. China's economic recovery continued to gather steam with improving major economic indicators including retail sales of consumer goods, industrial output, the export of goods and the purchasing managers' index for the manufacturing sector. The country has become the only major economy projected by the World Bank to achieve positive growth in 2020. The increase in China's domestic consumption will beef up global demand through international trade, thus stimulate world economic recovery, Gu said. (Reporting by Ma Yunfei, Liu Jie, Zhang Yujie, Liu Fangzhou, Luo Xin) (Video reporters: Ding Chunyu, Xia Zilin, Li Jiale, Sun Lei, Ma Xiaodong, Wang Junfeng; video editor: Li Ziwei) 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. Sherman Alexie's prize-winning ``The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian'' came in at No. 1, followed by Dav Pilkey's ``Captain Underpants'' picture book series and Jay Asher's young adult novel ``Thirteen Reasons Why.'' Objections raised by parents and other community members have ranged from explicit language and depictions of drug use in Alexie's novel to Asher's theme of suicide. ``A lot of the books on the list also reflect a growing trend in recent years to challenge books by people of color and books from the LGBTQ community,'' says Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the library association's Office for Intellectual Freedom. Examples include Morrison's ``The Bluest Eye,'' about a Black girl raped by her father; Alex Gino's ``George,'' about a transgender child; and Justin Richardson's and Peter Parnell's picture book about two gay penguins, ``And Tango Makes Three.'' The list was announced Monday as the library association prepares to mark its annual Banned Books Week. Green's debut novel, ``Looking for Alaska,'' was ranked fourth, with others in the top 10 including E.L. James' explicit blockbuster ``50 Shades of Grey,`` Raina Telgemeier's graphic novel ``Drama'' and Lauren Myracle's ``Internet Girls'' series. As with its yearly snapshots of most challenged books, the ALA defines a ``challenge'' as a ``formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness.'' The list is based on news reports and on accounts submitted from libraries and others in the local community, although the ALA believes many challenges go unreported. The association does not formally count the number of times books are actually removed from a library shelf or from a school reading list. The decade list overall is a mixture of old standards such as Lee's ``To Kill a Mockingbird'' and Mark Twain's ``The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' and more recent works such as Stephen Chbosky's ``The Perks of Being a Wallflower'' and Suzanne Collins' multimillion selling ``The Hunger Games,`` which has been accused of being anti-family and promoting violence. Others included were Atwood's Dystopian classic ``The Handmaid's Tale,'' Steinbeck's ``Of Mice and Men'' and J.D. Salinger's ``The Catcher in the Rye.'' Most of the books are fiction, but the list also includes such nonfiction works as Jeanette Walls' memoir about growing up with dysfunctional parents, ``The Glass Castle,'' and ``Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl,'' which has faced challenges for the Jewish girl's emerging sexual feelings and physical changes as she and her family hide from the Nazis in Amsterdam during World War II. Frank was 15 when she was captured in 1944, and she died in a concentration camp the following year. ``There are actually two lines of objections to the Anne Frank diary,'' Caldwell-Stone says. ``One line is about her physical attraction to a boy (Peter Schiff, whom she met in school) and there were also objections that it was inappropriate for someone 12 years old to learn about the Holocaust. It was too much of a downer. It was not uplifting to young people.'' 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 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 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. LUTHERVILLE, Md., Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Celebree School, a leader in early childhood education with 44 open or under development school locations in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, today awarded multiple franchise licenses to Maryann Abraham of North Brunswick, New Jersey. She will own and operate Celebree School locations throughout Central New Jersey, with the first projected to open in April 2022. Abraham will look to open her first Celebree School in Mercer, Middlesex or Somerset County and has a goal of opening three schools over the next five years. She is an experienced franchisee who currently operates a JEI Learning Center, an afterschool tutoring program, where she is dedicated to improving the knowledge and self-confidence of school-aged children. Investing in Celebree School represents the next step in her journey as an entrepreneur. After obtaining two masters degrees in biological sciences and computer & information science, Abraham turned her attention to raising her children as a stay-at-home mom. I then jumped into the workforce and cut my teeth on my first franchise venture, said Abraham. I believe owning Celebree School locations will allow me to expand upon my entrepreneurial success while further enriching childrens lives and bringing a needed resource to my local communities. Im excited to be a part of such a family-oriented company. Faculty and staff at Celebree School believe success in early childhood development is equal parts curriculum and connection that extends beyond the classroom and into the homes and neighborhoods of the students. The Celebree approach is not simply about educating the whole child but the whole family. My executive team and I are excited to welcome Maryann to the Celebree family as a multi-unit franchisee, said Richard Huffman, founder and CEO. Shes already proven she has what it takes to run a successful business and her desire to positively impact families is undeniable. Celebree School franchises come with the resources an owner needs to start and run a successful business. Opportunities to open Celebree Schools are available in Maryland, Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Celebree School Grows People Big and Small starting with students who range from six-weeks to school age and extending to parents, teachers and directors. Now people who want to own their own business can be part of Celebree School and channel their passion for the community into the success of their school. For more information on franchise opportunities, visit the Celebree School website or contact Jim DiRugeris, Chief Development Officer, at jdirugeris@celebree.com or 443-391-6533. About Celebree School Founded in 1994, Celebree School is a leader in early childhood education that provides infant and toddler care, preschool, before and aftercare, and summer camp programs. With a mission to Grow People Big and Small, Celebree School believes success in early childhood development is equal parts curriculum and connection. Each school employs a customized program that addresses the physical, social, emotional, and academic needs of children and follows applicable state guidelines. In 2019, Celebree School launched its franchise offering. With a Celebree School franchise, entrepreneurs can invest in their financial future and their community by leveraging our proven business model. Learn more about how we grow confident children who are prepared for school and life at Celebree.com. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Press Contact Jennifer Leckstrom (215) 681-0770 jleckstrom@rosecomm.com - Julia Barretto was asked if she is willing to give Joshua Garcia a second chance - She willingly responded to the intriguing question thrown to her during a recent interview - The prominent actress jokingly said that it will not be called second chance if she and Joshua get back together - According to Julia, she and her former partner are moving forward with their lives already PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Julia Barretto was recently asked some intriguing questions about her previous relationship with Joshua Garcia. KAMI learned that one of the questions thrown to the gorgeous actress was if she is willing to give her former partner a second chance. Julia Barretto (Courtesy of Flickr) Source: UGC PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Speaking to media reporters, the Ngayon at Kailanman star jokingly said that it will not be called a second chance if she and Joshua will restore their love affair. Julia then stated that she and the well-acclaimed actor are now moving forward with their lives and they both agrees to remain friends after their separation. The celebrity even wishes nothing but the best for Joshua, specifically when the right time comes and he falls in love with someone that is deserving of his love. Naku, pag binigyan ko, hindi na second chance yun, Nth chance na yun! So lampas na ng second chance. You know what, kidding aside, I think were just really moving forward with our lives already. Hindi na kami parehong eager to go back to the past, she quipped. Parehong klaro sa aming dalawa na were friends and were going to move forward. And I wish him the best and I hope that whoever he ends up with, sana ay talagang mahalin at alagaan siya nang mabuti, yun lang naman. As for me, Im moving forward and Im very, very happy and Im really in good place with my life, theres no need to go back, she added. PAY ATTENTION: Shop with KAMI! The best offers and discounts on the market, product reviews and feedbacks. Julia Barretto is a young actress and product endorser in the Philippines. She got involved in heavy controversies last year. She recently helped Gerald Anderson promote his amazing beach in Zambales. The said celebrity was also able to read a comment that said Walang utang na loob after she left Star Magic. She responded to the netizen who said it. POPULAR: Read more news about Julia Barretto! Please like and share our Facebook posts to support KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinion about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts! Source: KAMI.com.gh 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. Japanese retailers are seeing a rebound in business as the government tries to balance keeping coronavirus under control with stoking the economy. "We believe that the impact of the new coronavirus has subsided... We want to move ahead with our efforts at an even faster speed," Takashi Sawada, president of convenience store operator Family Mart told reporters in a teleconference on Wednesday. In its last press conference as a listed company, Family Mart reported a net loss of 10.7 billion yen ($101 million) for the March to August period. Family Mart will soon be taken private by conglomerate Itochu which recently made a bid to buy the convenience store chain. Operating profit for the June-August quarter was 23.2 billion yen, up substantially from the 9 billion yen reported for the March-May quarter. Family Mart sees this as "a significant improvement in earning power," as daily same-store sales recover. Family Mart is far from alone in the retail sector experiencing a rebound from the severe business environment in the first quarter. Rival convenience store operators Seven & i Holdings and Lawson also saw an improvement in operating profit for the second quarter from the first, though their earnings remain lackluster compared with previous years. Family Mart has seen a significant improvement in sales in the June-to-August quarter compared with the preceding. (Photo by Manami Yamada) Seven & i Holding on Thursday revised up its earnings forecast for fiscal 2020 to 138.5 billion yen from 120 billion yen it predicted in July. Its operating profit in the second quarter rose to 108.3 billion yen from 71.3 billion yen in the first quarter. Lawson's consolidated operating profit for the June-August quarter was 14 billion yen, rising from the 2.6 billion yen reported in the first quarter. During the June-August quarter, Japan saw a second wave of coronavirus infections, with many more cases than during the first. However, the government did not declare a state of emergency, like it did earlier, as it did not want to damage the economy further. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Jan Robertson has taught "pretty much everything" over the past 40 years: outdoor education, science, and teacher coaching. But the coronavirus pandemic has meant Robertson like colleagues across the country, has had to weigh whether to prioritize her health or the job of her dreams. After being told she would probably be teaching in a classroom in the fall, she made the "heart-wrenching" decision to leave her job as a science instructional coach at a Northern California school district. At 64, she "did not want to return to a classroom where I am old enough that I'm in that list of (high-risk factors)," she said. Robertson isn't alone in feeling boxed into a decision one-third of teachers told Education Week in July they were somewhat or very likely to leave their job this year, compared with just 8% who leave the profession in a typical year. But while that survey might reflect teachers' feelings over the summer, a review of the retirement and staffing figures collected in some of the first states to resume classes this year suggests that fears of a mass exodus of retiring teachers may have been overblown. In Tennessee, for example, 1,307 teachers had filed retirement applications through September, state records show. That figure is down 31% from the same period last year. And in Indiana, another early-opening state, the 1,572 teachers who retired through September represent a 5% decrease from the number who retired last year, according to the Indiana Public Retirement System. Between COVID-19 and layoffs,schools may not have enough teachers to get through the year By contrast, New York state has experienced an increase in retirements, especially in the weeks leading up to the new school year. All told, the state Teacher Retirement System reported 5,728 retirements between April and early August, a 4% increase over the same period last year. But interest grew toward the end of summer, with 640 teachers filing retirement paperwork in July and early August, a 20% increase over the same time in 2019. Story continues Yonkers, N.Y., elementary school teacher Irene Bordes, 66, of Cortlandt Manor made the decision to retire early because of her concerns with COVID-19 and to help her son and daughter-in-law with child care for her three grandchildren. Bordes plays a memory card game with her granddaughters Sammie, 5, and Charlotte, 8, at her family's home in Yorktown Heights Aug. 26, 2020. Irene Bordes was one of them. After teaching for 24 years at an elementary school in a New York suburb, she decided in August to retire. Her two sons had urged their 66-year-old mother to not risk getting sick. They were very concerned about my health going back, Bordes told The Journal News last month. So many things are up in the air and the plans are changing day to day. It came down to a family decision. America's missing kids: Amid COVID-19 and online school, thousands of students haven't shown up Educators worries about being exposed to the virus in the classroom arent theoretical. Thousands of students and teachers across the country have already been forced to quarantine because of outbreaks in schools. But for some teachers, COVID-19 proved a rallying cry that ensured their return to the classroom. Luz Hernandez, 49, said she felt it was critical for her to return to her Milwaukee elementary school, where most of her students are Latino and on the wrong side of the digital learning divide. She taught from her dining room table last semester after schools were shut down, but she returned to her classroom where she has more resources to start this year even though Milwaukee schools reopened with virtual instruction. "Teachers were given the option to either teach from home or come to our classrooms and teach," she explained. But she spends most of her nights at the same kitchen table "taking calls at home at night and just connecting with parents." While COVID-19 concerns pushed some teachers to consider retirement, fourth grade teacher Lindsey Earle came up with a novel approach: building an outdoor classroom at Prairie Hill Waldorf School in Pewaukee, Wis. Their superintendent recently informed her district that due to Milwaukees rising coronavirus infection rate, virtual teaching will take place indefinitely. Hernandez can't retire until she's 55, so "retirement is not an option for me at this point," but she said that there was no doubt in her mind to return to school this year. "It never dawned on me not to come and do what I signed up to do 25 years ago," she added. Dedicated teachers are in great demand. The August report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows 7.6 million employed in "local government education," a category that includes most public school employees. That's the fewest number of school employees nationwide in nearly 20 years, an effect that's being felt in schools across the country. In Arizona, a new survey of 145 school districts found that about 28% of teacher positions in the state remained vacant weeks into the school year, compared with 21% last year. And in Southwest Florida's Lee County, schools haven't felt the bite of early retirements so much as just the typical annual turnover. The school district of 6,100 teachers needed 438 new hires before the Aug. 31 start of the school year, Superintendent Greg Adkins said. We have been actively hiring, but unfortunately, we are also losing teachers still, he said. I think people come to the realization, Do I really want to do this anymore? Too many factorsinvolved to say teachers are safer in class than at Walmart Whitney Reddick, a special education teacher in Jacksonville, Fla., holds a sign that says "I'm a teacher, not a martyr" after participating in a march protesting the opening of schools during the pandemic that ended at a cemetery. COVID-19 doesn't make those conversations any easier. For 39 years, Anne Ham taught language arts and drama in Kansas, Illinois and Oklahoma, where after COVID-19 hit, she taught the last nine weeks of classes in the spring semester virtually in Norman Public Schools. Ham, 61, had planned to retire in another year, but she has asthma. On top of that, her husband is 73 a "very high risk" category in itself. Because of these factors, she made the decision to leave early rather than put her health in jeopardy, even though she didn't feel like she had a choice. "Teaching was a huge part of my identity," Ham said, adding that she misses her friends most of whom are teachers and feels guilty for not returning to her students. "I have to find my purpose again." Jessica Sevilla, a former seventh grade math teacher in Martin County on Florida's east coast, echoed those concerns. She was used to missing lunch because a student needed to talk; staying late to talk to parents; and coming to work early to give a student additional time to study. But she has underlying health issues and going back to school wasn't a risk she was willing to take, she told the TCPalm, part of the USA TODAY Network, last month. "To make a decision where I didn't put my students first but put myself first is a weird feeling," she said. "It feels wrong." Contributing: Lily Altavena, Arizona Republic; Joseph Spector, The Journal News, Sommer Brugal, Treasure Coast Newspapers, Pamela McCabe, The News-Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID, schools: Mass teacher retirements hasn't happened as feared South Africa: Stillbirths could increase, UN report warns Almost 2 million babies are stillborn every year or one every 16 seconds, says the first-ever stillbirth report by the United Nations Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN-IGME). The vast majority of stillbirths or 84% occur in low and lower-middle-income countries, according to the new report titled A Neglected Tragedy: The Global Burden of Stillbirths. The report was conducted in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organisation (WHO), the World Bank Group and the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (EC-ESA). In 2019, three in four stillbirths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa or Southern Asia. The study defines stillbirth as a baby born with no signs of life at 28 weeks of pregnancy or more. The study also warns that COVID-19-related health service disruptions could worsen the situation. A 50% reduction in health services due to the pandemic could cause nearly 200 000 additional stillbirths over a 12-month period in 117 low and middle-income countries. This corresponds to an increase in the number of stillbirths by 11.1%. UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta Fore, has described losing a child at birth or during pregnancy as one of the devastating tragedies, a family could ever face. "One that is often endured quietly, yet all too frequently, around the world, Fore said. Every 16 seconds, a mother somewhere will suffer the unspeakable tragedy of stillbirth. Beyond the loss of life, the psychological and financial costs for women, families and societies are severe and long lasting. For many of these mothers, it simply didnt have to be this way. Fore believes a majority of stillbirths could have been prevented with high-quality monitoring, proper antenatal care and a skilled birth attendant. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Healths modelling predicts that 13 countries could see a 20% increase or more of stillbirths over a 12-month period. Poor quality of care Most stillbirths are attributed to poor quality of care during pregnancy and birth, the study found. Also, the lack of investments in antenatal and intrapartum services and in strengthening the nursing and midwifery workforce are key challenges. Over 40% of stillbirths occur during labour, which could be avoided with access to a trained health worker at childbirth and timely emergency obstetric care, the report added. Around half of the stillbirths in sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Southern Asia occur during labour, compared to 6% in Europe, Northern America, Australia and New Zealand. Even before the pandemic caused critical disruptions in health services, few women in low- and middle-income countries received timely and high-quality care to prevent stillbirths. Progress, however, is possible with sound policy, programmes and investment. "Welcoming a baby into the world should be a time of great joy, but every day thousands of parents experience unbearable sadness because their babies are stillborn, said WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Investing in healthcare The tragedy of stillbirth shows how vital it is to reinforce and maintain essential health services, and how critical it is to increase investment in nurses and midwives. The report also noted that stillbirth is not only a challenge for poor countries. In 2019, 39 high-income countries had a higher number of stillbirths than neonatal deaths and 15 countries had a higher number of stillbirths than infant deaths. In both low and high-income settings, stillbirth rates are higher in rural areas than in urban areas, while socioeconomic status is also linked to a greater incidence of stillbirth. Ethnic minorities in high-income countries, in particular, may lack access to enough quality health care. The report cites that Inuit populations in Canada, for example, have been observed to have stillbirth rates nearly three times higher than the rest of Canada and African American women in the United States of America have nearly twice the risk of stillbirth compared to white women, it noted. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-10-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. (REUTERS) Viewers tuning into the 2020 vice presidential debate flooded social media to ask what happened to vice president Mike Pences left eye, which appeared bloodshot. Dozens of media figures, comedians, election analysts and doctors following a White House outbreak of Covid-19 that has infected more than a dozen people close to Donald Trump, including the president himself suggested that the vice president could have conjunctivitis, which appears as a symptom among a minority of patients The anti-Trump Republican PAC The Lincoln Project, which has aired several ads criticising the administrations re-election efforts, also joined the dogpile. Pence right now. pic.twitter.com/AQWasruLCV The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) October 8, 2020 Mr Pence has tested negative for the coronavirus daily since the president was hospitalised on Friday. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has also cleared the vice president to appear at the debate alongside Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris. More follows Granville Island welcomes Tom Lancaster as new General Manager Tom Lancaster will become the new General Manager for Granville Island, effective October 14, 2020. Tom Lancaster will become the new General Manager for Granville Island, effective October 14, 2020. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, which manages Granville Island on behalf of the Government of Canada, along with the Granville Island Council, announced that Tom Lancaster will become the new General Manager for Granville Island, effective October 14, 2020. Mr. Lancaster brings almost twenty years of experience in planning, consulting and advisory roles. He has worked locally, across Canada, and internationally with First Nations Bands, local, regional and Provincial governments, as well as developers and non-profit organizations. Before starting his career in planning, Tom worked internationally in community-based ecosystem renewal, where his passion for improving local environments was born. Tom is the ideal candidate to lead Granville Islands future, said The Honourable Hedy Fry, MP for Vancouver Centre. The Granville Island 2040 report, completed after consultation with Vancouver residents and tenants, provides a blueprint for Granville Islands future. Tom Lancaster is the person to do it. Granville Island Council Chair, Heather Deal, added, Tom brings an unwavering commitment to nurturing and sustaining an inclusive culture where all people have a sense of belonging within the community. Most recently, Tom was the Manager of Community Planning for the District of North Vancouver. Prior to that, he was the Manager of Regional Planning and Data Analytics for Metro Vancouver, and the Deputy Director of Development Services on the Sunshine Coast, while maintaining his consultancy to assist non-profit organizations in building affordable housing. He holds a Masters Degree in Community & Regional Planning from the University of British Columbia. Media inquiries: Lisa Ono, Manager, Public Affairs & Programming, CMHC-Granville Island, lono@cmhc.ca Story continues A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6ca70a78-097f-4c57-b15e-e5fc335d8492 Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence during their only debate of this election cycle in Salt Lake City on Oct. 7. (Getty Images) To the editor: It's quite disgusting that Republicans Donald Trump and Mike Pence constantly have to talk over their opponents in the debates. Why is this? Are they not adults who know how to follow the rules? Also, moderator Susan Page allowed Vice President Pence to speak for more time than his Democratic opponent, Sen. Kamala Harris, as the moderator did for President Trump in his debate. This appears to be a problem that has not been adequately addressed by the Commission on Presidential Debates. Pence's performance was so full of lies that my head was spinning. Unfortunately, Harris didn't call him out on all of them, as she should have. It's a good thing there was only one vice presidential debate, as I could not sit through another one and listen to so many lies. Dave Corbin, Palm Springs .. To the editor: These are the questions that should have been asked of Pence: Why as head of the COVID-19 task force could you and your team not protect the president from this disease? What chance does an ordinary citizen have? Are they going to be flown to a national medical center and given the latest medicines? Evan Thompson, Altadena .. To the editor: Beyond outrageous was Pence's statement during the debate about Trump following science. Trump has not only ignored the overwhelming evidence for climate change, he has also exacerbated the situation. He appointed Scott Pruitt and then Andrew Wheeler to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, both being enemies of honest science and climate change action. Senate Republicans, displaying indifference to climate change's damage to people's lives, approved those nominations. It is crucial that many of these destructive people be replaced this November. With their choices this November, voters will show if they care about the serious damages that climate change will inflict on their children and grandchildren I do hope that those who do not already realize how alarming the situation is will seek out the actual scientific truth about it. Story continues Jack Holtzman, San Diego .. To the editor: Ben Jonson, William Shakespeare's rival and friend, wrote a play in 1607 called "Volpone," or "The Fox." In this play, the fox-man lies in bed "sick" and gets all kinds of corrupt and ambitious types to donate money and properties to him, promising they will be included in his will, and then leaves them out of it. His henchman is Mosca, the fly. The actual fly pretty much wins, as it did in the vice presidential debate. The past is always the present. The fly, not Pence, stole the debate. Theresia de Vroom, Los Angeles .. To the editor: Please, no more debates. The first one was a complete fiasco. We already know what we need to know. Terese Miller, Monrovia This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 23:51:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken in Arlington, Virginia, the United States on Sept. 29, 2020 shows C-SPAN 2 live stream of U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden speaking during their first debate in the 2020 presidential race. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) "I'm not going to do a virtual debate," Trump, who's recovering from COVID-19 at the White House, said in an interview with Fox Business. "I'm not going to waste my time with a virtual debate. That's not what debating is all about. You sit behind a computer and do a debate, that is ridiculous," Trump said. WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he won't participate in a virtual debate with 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden after organizers plan to stage the rivals' next face-off virtually to protect the health and safety of those involved. "I'm not going to do a virtual debate," Trump, who's recovering from COVID-19 at the White House, said in an interview with Fox Business. "I'm not going to waste my time with a virtual debate. That's not what debating is all about. You sit behind a computer and do a debate, that is ridiculous," Trump said. The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) announced Thursday morning that the second Trump-Biden encounter, scheduled for Oct. 15, "will take the form of a town meeting, in which the candidates would participate from separate remote locations." The town meeting participants and the moderator, it added, will be located at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida. Photo taken in Arlington, Virginia, the United States on Sept. 29, 2020 shows C-SPAN 2 live stream of U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden (R) attending their first debate in the 2020 presidential race. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Bill Stepien, Trump's campaign manager, said in a statement that "there is no need for this unilateral declaration," referring to the change to the debate format. "The safety of all involved can easily be achieved without canceling a chance for voters to see both candidates go head to head," said Stepien, who also recently tested positive for COVID-19. "We'll pass on this sad excuse to bail out Joe Biden and do a rally instead," Stepien said. The presidential candidates met for their first debate in the race in Cleveland, Ohio on Sept. 29, two days before the incumbent tested positive for COVID-19. Biden has undergone multiple tests since Trump's diagnosis, with each one returning negative. The former vice president has said the second debate should not be held if his Republican opponent still has the virus. Kate Bedingfield, Biden's deputy campaign manager, said on Thursday that the Democrat intends to take part in the virtual debate next week. "Vice President Biden looks forward to speaking directly to the American people and comparing his plan for bringing the country together and building back better with Donald Trump's failed leadership on the coronavirus that has thrown the strong economy he inherited into the worst downturn since the Great Depression," the spokesperson said in a statement. Frank Fahrenkopf, head of the CPD, told CNN that the panel spoke with both campaigns "just before" it announced the decision to hold the Miami debate virtually, but did not consult with them about the decision. Fahrenkopf added that the decision has the support of the Cleveland Clinic, the commission's health advisers, while also acknowledging that it is fully within Trump's right to decline to debate. "There is no law requiring any presidential candidate to debate," he explained. "So it is up to every candidate to decide whether they want to debate or not." The Marine One carrying U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Oct. 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Trump returned to the White House on Monday, where he continues to receive COVID-19 treatment after a three-day hospitalization. Speaking to Fox Business on Thursday, the president said he is feeling "perfect," while appearing eager to hit the campaign trail as Biden's lead over him in national polls is widening. "I think I'm better ... to a point where I'd love to do a rally tonight. I wanted to do one last night," Trump said. "I feel perfect. There's nothing wrong." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that individuals self-isolate for at least 10 days after the onset of symptoms from COVID-19, which has infected more than 7.55 million people and killed nearly 212,000 in the United States. MONTREALMenAtPlay Studio has just announced that its new DVD release, Executive Pleasures 3, is now available for both the retail and wholesale markets. Executive Pleasures 3 showcases a cast of suited-up hunks that include both well-known as well as a few new facesa mix that MenAtPlay is known for. According to a synopsis of the action provided by the company, Andy Star gives Hector de Silva an office "pep talk"; blonde UK newcomer Geordie Jackson and his partner Klein Kerr film more than a new commercial; Johan Kane gets caught jerking off at work by his horny boss, Manuel Skye; Dani Robles takes advantage of Alexander Mullers open door policy; and blue-eyed Brit Gabriel Phoenix gives cabby Pietro Duarte a tip he wont forget. Our Executive Pleasures DVD series has become a MenAtPlay fan favorite, a studio rep reported. This time we spiced things up a bit by adding a couple of British blondes to the mix. I think anyone who watches this new release will be quite pleased. For a look at the box art and a hardcore preview, click here. Fans can find MenAtPlay online at MenAtPlay.com and on Twitter @menatplaycom. For more information, contact Nicolas F. of StunnerMedia Licensing Department at [email protected]. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 17:01:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Passengers line up to have tickets checked at Changsha South Railway Station in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Oct. 8, 2020. Transportation hubs in China are witnessing the peak of return passengers as the eight-day holiday ends on Thursday. China celebrates its National Day on Oct. 1, and the weeklong holiday this year has been extended to Oct. 8 as it overlapped with the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional festival symbolizing family reunion that falls on Aug. 15 on the lunar calendar. (Xinhua/Chen Zeguo) 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. On the same day President Donald Trump acknowledged contracting the coronavirus, the White House quietly informed a veterans group that there was a COVID-19 risk stemming from a Sept. 27 event honoring the families of fallen U.S. service members, the head of that charitable organization told The Daily Beast. The White House warning, which came on Oct. 2, is the earliest known outreach to visitors of the complex that there was a risk of coronavirus emerging from the grounds where the president, the first lady, and at least 17 of his aides, according to Politico, have now tested positive for the virus. The Sept. 27 event to honor Gold Star families came the day after the White House hosted a celebration for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett that appears to have been an early source of the White House outbreak, though West Wing officials have quietly disputed that linkage. It is unclear to the head of the veterans charitythe Greatest Generations Foundationwhich participant's potential positive coronavirus test sparked the warning. The White House has been in daily contact with TGGF for contact-tracing purposes after alerting us on 10/2 of a possible COVID-positive person at the event so we could know there was a potential our attendees were exposed, said the Greatest Generations Foundations President and CEO Timothy Davis. Trumps Campaign Adviser Admits Hes Not Changing Course After COVID Diagnosis Pictures from the Gold Star family event, which Trump attended, show minimal mask wearing and social distancing. It took place indoors, though attendees said they were tested prior to attending. A Republican close to the White House also told The Daily Beast that others present at the event received outreach from a White House officethough not the medical officelate last week urging them to get coronavirus tests. The source described a chaotic scene in the White House as it tries to manage the internal outbreak. The communication breakdown during this is even worse than usual, this source said. Different departments and offices are not talking or communicating appropriately, people are doing different things, and officials are having trouble getting on the same page. The East Wing and the West Wing are dealing with this totally differently. Its just a mess. Story continues Davis said the White Houses Office of Public Liaison notified him and has remained in touch. The White House Medical Unit has taken the lead on contact tracing but the public liaison offices communication with individuals from the Gold Star family event underscores the extent to which multiple officials in the White House were concerned about visitors exposure. The White House has repeatedly said that it only contacts individuals who may have come within six feet of a White House personnel member in the 48 hours preceding their positive test. The outreach to Davis raises questions about whether there were any COVID-positive individuals in attendance at the event. Trumps top aide, Hope Hicks, tested positive September 30, three days after the gathering and pictures from the ceremony do not show her in the audience. Publicly, officials were projecting calm. On the same day that the White House reached out to Davis, officials were still portraying the presidents infection with the disease as isolated and containable. One official told The Daily Beast last week that the White House was operating business as usual and that no update or warning had been sent out to personnel. The White House has a robust contact tracing process led by the medical unit with CDC guidance. The White House also extends a variety of communications to its guests and organizations who work with us on a variety of issues and events, said Brian Morgenstern, a White House spokesman. President Trump and his staff take risk mitigation seriously. We also know it is very important to reopen our country and for the president to continue working for the American people in a safe way. Trump Doctor Actually Quotes POTUS in Bizarre Health Update: I Feel Great! The Gold Star families event was attended by the vice commandant of the Coast Guard, Adm. Charles W. Ray. The Pentagon announced on Tuesday that Ray tested positive for coronavirus, prompting self-quarantining from several members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other senior military leaders Ray met with last week. Also at the event were Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who has tested negative, and Army Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Pentagon said it had no new positive results from coronavirus tests to announce Wednesday. Neither the Pentagon nor the Coast Guard would say if the White House notified Ray, Esper, Milley or any other senior military official of their potential exposure from the Sept. 27 event. One Gold Star son who attended the Sept. 27 event, Daniel Bradley of California, said that he had not been notified by the White House about a COVID risk. He got tested on his own afterwards, out of an abundance of caution. The results came back negative, Bradley said. Bradley said his White House attendance was facilitated by the Greatest Generations Foundation, which helps World War II and Vietnam veterans visit their old battlefields. Davis said the foundation arranged to send eight Gold Star relatives to the Sept. 27 event, aged 30 to 75 years, all of whom were tested before the event. Davis has been in daily contact with all attendees, most recently on Wednesday morning, and said all have tested negative. Should McConnell Tap the Brakes on Amy Coney Barrett's Confirmation? No Chance! While the White House was quietly reaching out to Davis about potential COVID exposure, its efforts at contact tracing have been far less comprehensive elsewhere. The owner of La Chaumiere, an upscale restaurant in Georgetown, confirmed to The Daily Beast that Amy Coney Barrett and her family dined there in a private room after appearing at the White House introduction ceremony. But as of Wednesday morning, he said, No contact tracer or anyone from the White House has reached out to me. None of the staff had shown symptoms of illness. Likewise, it is unclear if the White House notified Adm. Ray or anyone else in attendance at the Sept. 27 event about the coronavirus risk stemming from it. Neither the Coast Guard nor the Pentagon immediately responded to a Daily Beast inquiry. Prior to Davis coming forward to say hed been in touch with White House officials, the Washington Post, citing sources familiar with the event planning, reported that the White House did not contact most of the families, if any. The Post cited Morgenstern to explain that the White House didnt contact the families because all attendees tested negative Sept. 27 and no positive tests were recorded in the first 48 hours afterward. The details of how the White House Medical Unit is conducting its contact tracing program are murky. While senior officials have laid out the parameters for who they choose to get in touch with, they have not said publicly who they believe to be at risk for exposure. They have also not indicated how many White House personnel members are being traced. The White House has also rebuffed offers by the Centers for Disease Control and the D.C. mayors office to help coordinate the tracing program. As a veterans organization, we are bipartisan and stay out of politics, said Davis. All Gold Star families that attended the event at the White House are doing great and have no symptoms of COVID. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-09 01:50:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday that the COVID-19 pandemic has made the need for universal health coverage more urgent than ever. "A year ago, I warned that half the world's people were not able to access affordable, high-quality health care. Today, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that our health systems are inadequate," he told a ministerial meeting held as one-year commemoration of a UN high-level meeting on universal health coverage. "Weak health systems and unequal access to health care are major reasons why COVID-19 has killed 1 million people and infected more than 30 million around the world. Under-investment in health is having a devastating impact on societies and economies, undermining progress on all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)." COVID-19 has made the need for universal health coverage, outlined in the strong Political Declaration adopted at last year's high-level meeting, more urgent than ever, he said in a video message. Universal health coverage is not only essential to end the pandemic. It will also drive progress across all health-related SDGs, while strengthening the primary health systems that are fundamental to tackling non-communicable diseases. And it is the only way to prepare for future health crises, he said. Enditem President Donald Trump. Getty White House staff members are scared for their lives after President Donald Trump returned to the White House with the coronavirus on Monday, said Olivia Troye, a former aide to Vice President Mike Pence. She told the UK's Times Radio on Tuesday that staffers she had spoken to were "fearful" about catching the virus and "embarrassed" by Trump's "reckless" behavior. Trump returned to the White House on Monday having spent the weekend at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. White House staff members are "fearful" for their lives after President Donald Trump left the hospital on Monday despite still having the coronavirus, said Olivia Troye, a former aide to Vice President Mike Pence. Several White House staffers and advisers to the president have tested positive for the virus in the past week. Troye, a former member of the White House's coronavirus task force, told Times Radio in the UK on Tuesday that other White House staff members she had spoken to were increasingly scared that they would catch the virus. "You know, for my White House colleagues, I know they're scared," Troye said. "I've had conversations with some people that are still there. Their bodies may react differently to COVID. "COVID is a very unpredictable virus, and people, you know, react to it in a very different way. I know that they're fearful and they're scared. And they've got to be, to a certain extent, embarrassed at what they're watching, because this is the president and the administration that they're currently supporting and working in." Troye told the host John Pienaar that some White House staff privately agreed with her strong, public criticism of Trump's handling of the pandemic. "I've had conversations behind closed doors along the way during my tenure in the White House, and I can tell you that, although I am speaking out in public, many of these people have felt the same way I do, behind closed doors," she said. Story continues "They know he is reckless. I've been told by, you know, some of his immediate staff that it is impossible to keep the president on message. I am sure that that's what was going through their heads last night when they saw it all develop." Trump returned to the White House on Monday evening having spent the weekend receiving treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He removed his face mask when he arrived, flouting medical advice designed to protect people from those who are infected with the virus. He then shared a video on Twitter echoing misleading claims about the virus that he had made in tweets on Monday afternoon. He told people not to be afraid of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 200,000 Americans. Other reports this week have described White House staffers as furious with the president for returning to the White House while he still has a highly contagious virus. "It's insane that he would return to the White House and jeopardize his staff's health when we are still learning of new cases among senior staff," a White House source told Axios. "This place is a cesspool." Axios described the source as "reflecting widespread dismay" among Trump administration officials. The source added: "He was so concerned with preventing embarrassing stories that he exposed thousands of his own staff and supporters to a deadly virus. He has kept us in the dark, and now our spouses and kids have to pay the price. It's just selfish." Read the original article on Business Insider President Moon Jae-in speaks from Cheong Wa Dae during a virtual meeting with employees at public social services agencies, Thursday. Moon said the government will protect and support social workers who provide care services for children, the disabled and people with long-term health problems, adding that welfare and social safety nets are becoming more important due to the aging and polarization of society, especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-seok John Brennan. Thomson Reuters Former CIA Director John Brennan told Insider that the biggest threat to the November election is President Donald Trump himself. He said the "dishonesty" and disinformation that come out of the White House and Trump campaign are just as dangerous as foreign interference in the election. Brennan has earned a reputation as one of Trump's most vociferous critics since he left the CIA in 2017, and he doesn't mince words in his new memoir, "Undaunted: My Fight Against America's Enemies, at Home and Abroad." The former CIA chief wrote that he was "disgusted" and "nauseated" by Trump's behavior toward the US intelligence community and his refusal to acknowledge Moscow's campaign to interfere in the 2016 election. Overall, Brennan told Insider, Russia got everything it could have hoped for from Trump's presidency. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Former CIA Director John Brennan believes the biggest threat to the 2020 election is the sitting US president. "Dishonesty, especially that coming out of the Donald Trump campaign, and the fact that you have certain networks that continue to misrepresent the facts in a very willful and dishonest fashion, is the main risk," he told Insider in an interview. "Trump has a very well established and recognized track record of misrepresenting the truth, and he will continue to do so. And unfortunately, there are too many people who just drink in that demagogic rhetoric that he spews out." Brennan spent more than two decades at the CIA and served as director of the agency from 2013 to 2017. Before that, he worked as an analyst in the Near East and South Asia division and later as a station chief in Saudi Arabia and head of the National Counterterrorism Center. Brennan left public service in 2005 to work in private-security consulting, but he returned to the government in 2009. In 2013, then-President Barack Obama nominated Brennan to lead the CIA, which he did until 2017. Story continues Since leaving the US government, Brennan has developed a reputation as one of Trump's sharpest and most consistent critics. But Brennan's concerns about the president took root long before he departed his post as CIA director, according to his new book, "Undaunted: My Fight Against America's Enemies, at Home and Abroad," which was released on Tuesday. The book opens with a fraught scene that took place on January 6, 2017, days before Brennan left the agency. He and other US intelligence chiefs briefed Congress' "Gang of Eight" and, later, then-President-elect Donald Trump about Russia's unprecedented and elaborate interference in the 2016 election. The attack, and Trump's refusal to acknowledge it, would become one of the defining failures of his presidency. During the briefing, Brennan wrote, Trump repeatedly cast doubt on the veracity of the intelligence, despite the fact that the heads of the CIA, National Security Agency, FBI, and the director of national intelligence agreed on its contents. Near the end of the briefing, Trump suggested that intelligence provided by human sources could be fabricated for personal gain. "Anyone will say anything if you pay them enough. I know that, and you know that," Trump told Brennan, the book said. The former CIA director wrote that he was "disgusted" by the president-elect's comments, given the life-threatening circumstances human intelligence sources place themselves in to serve their country. "I stared at Trump" and "bit my tongue nearly hard enough to draw blood," Brennan wrote. "I knew that he saw me at the time not as John Brennan the person but as the director of the CIA, and I did not want to irredeemably spoil the CIA's relationship with the incoming president before it even got started." As the briefing ended, Brennan wrote that he became "even more convinced that my long-held assessment of Trump's narcissism, lack of principles, and unfitness for the country's highest office was accurate. He showed no intellectual curiosity about what Russia had done and how it had carried out its campaign to interfere in the election, which suggested to me that he wasn't interested in learning the truth or in taking action to prevent a recurrence." Nearly four years later, the former CIA chief's assessment hasn't changed. And fewer than 30 days out from November 3, Brennan said the disinformation flowing out of the White House and its allies in the conservative media is just as dangerous as foreign disinformation. "There is an overlap between the two because a fair amount of what's happening here, whether it's coming out of domestic sources, is being fueled and encouraged by foreign actors," Brennan told Insider. "When I look at the polarization of our society and the rise of the far right and far left, a lot of that has domestic foundations, but our foreign adversaries want to stoke those fires to further enrage the social discourse, to make people on both ends of the spectrum more radical and more extremist." Brennan is sworn in. Reuters/Jason Reed CIA employees feel 'demoralized' under Trump and have 'deep concern' about the politicization of intelligence, Brennan says Further hobbling the US is the politicization, manipulation, and suppression of intelligence that's taken place under the Trump administration. Last month, a former senior Department of Homeland Security official, Brian Murphy, filed a whistleblower complaint saying he was told to stop focusing on Russian election interference and withhold intelligence assessments about the matter because it made the president "look bad." In August, Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe announced he would no longer brief Congress on foreign election interference, though he partially reversed course in mid-September, saying his office would resume briefings for the House and Senate intelligence committees. And last week, Ratcliffe again made headlines when he sent a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham revealing dubious information from a "Russian intelligence analysis" claiming that Hillary Clinton "approved a campaign plan to stir up a scandal" against Trump in 2016 "by tying him to Putin and the Russians' hacking of the Democratic National Committee." Ratcliffe declassified the information despite the fact that the US intelligence community "does not know the accuracy of this allegation or the extent to which the Russian intelligence analysis may reflect exaggeration or fabrication," according to the letter. Ratcliffe and his predecessor, former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell, "badly abused their oath of office and responsibilities to this country," Brennan said. Ratcliffe's decision to send the letter was "a very selective release of information that was designed to promote the interests, objectives, and goals of Donald Trump. So it was very disappointing." He also pointed out Ratcliffe's reputation as one of Trump's biggest attack dogs on Capitol Hill before he took over as head of the intelligence community. Indeed, Trump nominated the former Texas congressman for the DNI post after Ratcliffe berated and attacked the special counsel Robert Mueller last year over his findings in the FBI's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election. "He was a very partisan supporter of Donald Trump when he was in Congress," Brennan said of Ratcliffe. "And he's just continuing to play that role as director of national intelligence." The ex-CIA director said many of his former colleagues at the agency have found Trump's tightening grip on the intelligence community "demoralizing" and expressed "deep concern about what they see happening" in the national security apparatus. "They see that their intelligence is not being used to further US interests, it's being disregarded and dismissed by the chief executive. And that leads a lot of my former colleagues to question why they continue to work so hard if their efforts are not being useful and worthwhile," he said. "So this has a very deleterious effect on the workforce." Getty A 'weaker' US under Trump is Putin's gain Brennan, for his part, wrote that he became aware of Trump's transactional and political approach to leading the intelligence community from his very first day on the job. On January 21, 2017, one day after being inaugurated as the commander in chief, Trump visited the CIA's headquarters in Langley, Virginia. While standing in front of the Memorial Wall, which pays tribute to every CIA officer who died in the line of duty, Trump boasted about the crowd size at his inauguration, while Brennan watched the event on television. "I couldn't take it anymore. I felt physically nauseated watching and listening to him," Brennan wrote in his book. He went to the gym to work off his anger. That was the first time he publicly spoke out against the president, texting his former chief of staff, Nick Shapiro, the following statement: "Former Director Brennan is deeply saddened and angered at Donald Trump's despicable display of self-aggrandizement in front of CIA's Memorial Wall of agency heroes. He should be ashamed of himself." As for how Trump has fared since then, Brennan did not mince words, saying the president is the biggest threat to the US's national security and future. Russia, on the other hand, got everything it could have hoped for from the Trump presidency, he said. "The weaker the United States is, and the more tarnished our reputation is in the eyes of the world, the less able we are to play the leadership role we've played over the last 75 years," he said. "So what's happened to the US now plays directly into Putin's goals." Read the original article on Business Insider 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. Met with cautious optimism by financial analysts, the bill has sparked outcry, with labour unions, students and academics criticising it A protester tries to hurl a brick towards police trying block protesters from advancing towards the Presidential Palace during a rally in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. Thousands of enraged students and workers staged rallies across Indonesia on Thursday in opposition to a new law they say will cripple labor rights and harm the environment. (AP) Jakarta: Nationwide protests and labour strikes against a polarising new jobs law in Indonesia continued across the country for a third straight day on Thursday. The omnibus jobs creation bill, passed into law on Monday, has seen thousands of people in Southeast Asias largest economy take to the streets in protest against legislation they say undermines labour rights and weakens environmental protections. In the past two days, almost 600 people have been detained, and two students seriously injured, while police have used tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators. On Thursday morning, crowds gathered across major cities on the most populous Java island, including Jakarta and Bandung, according to local media and video footage shared by Kahar S. Cahyono, a spokesman from the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Union (KSPI). Maulana Syarif, 45, who has worked at Astra Honda motors for 25 years, told Reuters he joined the protests in Jakarta to fight for the rights of future generations. We ask that the law be repealed immediately, he told Reuters. This is our struggle for our children and grandchildren, and our future generations...If its like this (with the new law) our well-being will decrease, and we will lack certainty in jobs. In conjunction with 32 other trade unions, Said Iqbal, KSPI president, said its strike would continue for a third and final day on Thursday. The government of President Joko Widodo has championed the flagship legislation as key to boosting Indonesias ailing economy by streamlining regulations, cutting red tape and attracting more foreign direct investment. Met with cautious optimism by some financial analysts, the bill has sparked a significant outcry, with labour unions, students and academics criticising it for a perceived lack of consultation, expedited passage, and problematic clauses they say will harm workers and the environment. Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws 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 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. 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. 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. 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. The HCC will pave the way for the certification of hyperloop systems around the world the first step towards commercial projects in places like India Hyperloop Certification Center Rendering. A rendering of the Hyperloop Certification Center in West Virginia. Design by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and rendering by SeeThree. A rendering of the Hyperloop Certification Center in West Virginia. Design by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and rendering by SeeThree. NEW DELHI, India, Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After years of testing and developing hyperloop technology at their full-scale test site, Virgin Hyperloop unveiled today that the global Hyperloop Certification Center (HCC) will be located in the US state of West Virginia. Today is one of the most exciting days in Virgin Hyperloops history, said Sir Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group. Were one step closer to making hyperloop travel a reality for people everywhere. The Hyperloop Certification Center (HCC) is a major milestone in the maturity and acceptance of hyperloop systems globally. A testament to Virgin Hyperloops technology advancement, it will enable global regulatory bodies to work with US federal authorities to establish and set global safety and industry standards for the new hyperloop category, which can subsequently be adopted and re-applied in other geographies. Ive always been a big believer in the importance of competing against market transitions and Virgin Hyperloop is the clear leader in the future of transportation,'' said John Chambers, former Executive Chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems, current founder and CEO of JC2 Ventures, and native of West Virginia. With the development of the HCC in West Virginia, my home state, the company is one step closer to their dream of bringing their transformative technology to India and beyond. We look forward to supporting Virgin Hyperloop in this journey and imagining what is possible for the next generation of innovation, entrepreneurism, and inclusion, together. This announcement builds off of significant progress around the world on the regulatory front. In India, the Government of Maharashtra has deemed hyperloop a public infrastructure project and approved the Virgin Hyperloop-DP World Consortium as the Original Project Proponent (OPP) for the Mumbai-Pune hyperloop project. This is a landmark announcement for building the Pune-Mumbai hyperloop transportation system, recognizing hyperloop technology alongside other more traditional forms of mass transit. To forward this progress, the Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Government of India, Prof. Vijayraghavan, has set up an independent committee called the Consultative Group on Future of Transportation (CGFT) to explore the regulatory path for hyperloop. Story continues This global regulatory momentum, combined with the advancements at the HCC, will pave the way for the certification of hyperloop systems around the world the first step towards commercial projects, including those in India, while having the first human testing of the technology take place in the United States. The significance of this milestone cannot be overstated, said Jay Walder, CEO of Virgin Hyperloop. The establishment of the HCC enables regulatory authorities around the world to come together and establish global safety and industry standards for the new hyperloop category. This brings the hyperloop project connecting Mumbai to Pune in under 25 minutes and others around the world one step closer to reality. Beyond Maharashtra, there is enormous potential to connect the entire subcontinent. Last month, Virgin Hyperloop announced a ground-breaking partnership with Bangalore International Airports Limited (BIAL) to conduct a feasibility study for a proposed hyperloop corridor from BLR Airport. The study, which focuses on technical, economic and route feasibility, is expected to be completed in 2 phases of 6 months each. With speeds of up to 1,080 kmph, hyperloop could transport thousands of passengers per hour from BLR Airport to the city center in under 10 minutes, according to the preliminary analysis. Virgin Hyperloop also signed a MoU with the State of Punjabs Transport Department in December 2019 and hopes to expand on their relationship with Punjab as they continue exploring opportunities in northern India independent of their work in the western and southern regions of the country. In Europe, the European Commission's Directorate-General for Mobil ity and Transport ( DGMOVE) has held numerous workshops over the past 2 years with hyperloop companies in conjunction with regulatory authorities and standards bodies leading to the establishment of a baseline for the functional blocks of a hyperloop system and safety requirements. The European Commission is now carrying out a 9 month study to develop a safety regulatory approach for Europe, the results of which will be used by the Commission to develop the regulatory policy for hyperloop technologies. Active discussions are also underway with the three European regulatory authorities the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and the European Space Agency (ESA). In the United States, the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Elaine Chao and the Non-Traditional and Emerging Transportation Technology (NETT) Council unveiled a guidance document on a clear regulatory framework for hyperloop in the United States providing a pathway to regulation and establishing a hyperloop projects eligibility for federal funding. Virgin Hyperloop aims to achieve safety certification by 2025, with commercial operations beginning in 2030. About Virgin Hyperloop Virgin Hyperloop is the only company in the world that has successfully tested hyperloop technology at scale, launching the first new mode of mass transportation in over 100 years. The company successfully operated a full-scale hyperloop vehicle using electric propulsion and electromagnetic levitation under near-vacuum conditions, realizing a fundamentally new form of transportation that is faster, safer, cheaper, and more sustainable than existing modes. The company is now working with governments, partners, and investors around the world to make hyperloop a reality in years, not decades. Learn more about Virgin Hyperloop's technology, vision, and ongoing projects here . Media Assets Media assets can be found here . Please credit Virgin Hyperloop. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a82adbb9-bce9-4f7c-bc59-639ab0188f4b CONTACT: Media Contact Ryan Kelly Vice President of Marketing and Communications press@virginhyperloop.com +1 (610) 442-1896 Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 15:51:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISTANBUL, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police on Thursday detained at least 17 people in Istanbul over their alleged links to the Islamic State (IS) militant group, a local media outlet reported. Police launched operations simultaneously in 18 locations across the largest Turkish city to capture the suspects who were allegedly in contact with the IS members in conflict zones, the Sozcu daily said. Anti-terrorism units continue operations to find two other suspects who are at large, it added. The IS is blamed for a series of attacks in Turkey since 2015 that have killed more than 300 people. Enditem Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 13:56:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Marine Corps said on Wednesday that its assistant commandant has tested positive for COVID-19. General Gary Thomas, 58, is "experiencing mild symptoms, but otherwise is feeling well," said a press release. He has been in self-quarantine since Tuesday out of an abundance of caution following notification of close contact with a person later diagnosed with the virus, it added. The announcement came a day after members of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, including Chairman Mark Milley, reportedly entered quarantine following a positive test result for the Coast Guard's vice commandant, Admiral Charles Ray. Ray attended meetings with other senior military leaders at the Pentagon last week, according to a spokesperson. Enditem Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Royal family does not want Meghan and Harry to visit UK Gigi Hadid imitates image of Russian Armenian poet in national costume (PHOTOS) Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Tata Steel Masters: Magnus Carlsen is sole leader Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Manchester United beat West Ham Hoffenheim lose to Borussia Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor Arsenal intend to extend deal of Mikel Arteta Johnny Depp returns to cinema after high-profile scandal with his ex-wife British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Why is Kanye West threatening Netflix? Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO Vaccination against COVID-19 is mandatory for footballers in Brazil First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas become parents Arnold Schwarzenegger faces accident (PHOTOS) AusOpen: Simona Halep came out in the fourth round Comedian Louis Anderson dies aged 68 Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran Barcelona want to sign Juventus defender Ansu Fati may miss 2 months because of injury France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Cristiano Ronaldo may miss home match against West Ham Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws Antonio Rudiger demands annual salary of 55 million euros from Chelsea 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 Aston Villa sign new contract with Emiliano Martinez 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 Main signs of stroke Lavrov summarizes the results of talks with Blinken Netflix announces creation of entire universe based on The Squid Game series AusOpen Rafael Nadal defeats Karen Khachanov UN agrees on definition of Holocaust denial Lavrov and Blinken talks kick off in Geneva Juventus make offer to Dusan Vlahovic 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 Why is Omicron strain so dangerous for children? 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 First film studio in space to be set up for Tom Cruise movie Armenia FM highlights need for full resumption of Karabakh peace talks Singer Robbie Williams to sell three of Banksy's works 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 Tottenham extend contract with Hugo Lloris Armenia Tourism Committee has new chairperson AusOpen Zverev moves into 4th round 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 American cult actor and rock musician Meat Loaf dies aged 75 Warships of Russia, Iran and China work out counteraction to maritime piracy Armenia first deputy minister of justice dismissed Roma congratulate Mkhitaryan Israeli defense minister tests positive for COVID-19 Karabakh conflict resumption likelihood is moderate, its impact on US interests is low, report says Liverpool set new record YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis referred to the situation in Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone in Athena during joint statements with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. ARMENPRESS reports Mitsotakis informed that he discussed with the NATO Secretary General the concerning and tragic developments and ongoing bloodshed over Nagorno Karabakh, which apart from humanitarian disaster, destabilizes the entire region. We support the cessation of all military operations. Foreign intervention provoking hostilities must also cease. We support the calls of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs for ceasfire and resumption of the peace process, the Greek PM emphasized. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. MATTOON Angie Kelly of Mattoon said being overweight was making her feel uncomfortable physically and mentally several years ago, so she decided to change her mindset and take action to lose weight. Kelly, who has taught at Main Street Elementary School in Shelbyville for 25 years, said she ultimately lost more than 75 pounds and has kept off this weight by preparing healthy food for herself, as well as by developing a fitness routine that she enjoys. "I have found something I love, which makes it easier to stick with," Kelly said. "It's not just a chore." Many of the healthy recipes that Kelly enjoys are from Hungry Girl, a nationwide brand developed by Lisa Lillien that shares recipes via daily emails, podcasts, social media and more. Hungry Girl recently recognized Kelly's health and fitness achievements by running an interview with her in its fall magazine. Kelly said the interview request resulted from her responding last spring to Hungry Girl magazine's call for readers to share their personal stories. She said the magazine also helped arrange for a professional photoshoot for the article. "That was all a surprise. I had never done anything like that before." Kelly said, adding that she hopes her story will help inspire others to pursue their health and fitness goals. "If I can do that, they can too." Kelly said she appreciates that Hungry Girl brings together a community of healthy eaters who motivate each other and that it shares "easy recipes" that help her stay on track. She said a couple of her favorites are a loaded bell pepper nachos recipe that substitutes baked pepper slices for fried chips and a chia seed pudding recipe that "satisfies my sweet tooth." When it comes to healthy eating, Kelly said she has found that convenience is not always a good thing. Kelly said takes time to prepare healthy meals in advance through steps such as cutting up vegetables, boiling eggs, and portioning out crackers so she does not eat them "straight from the box." Kelly said she tries to be disciplined with her workouts too by exercising 30-40 minutes a day, with an emphasis on weights. Kelly said she prefers the convenience and privacy of exercising at home, but does stream her workouts with friends who are also trying to stay fit and support each other. "When I started, it was more about weight loss," Kelly said. "Now, it's about being healthy and living a long life." Staying healthy and maintaining a positive attitude has given Kelly more energy when she is spending time with her family, she said. Kelly and her husband, Todd, have two sons Reed , a 19-year-old sophomore at Eastern Illinois University, and Braden, a 16-year-old junior at Mattoon High School. Kelly said she also has more energy now when teaching her third-graders in Shelbyville. She said this energy has been this particularly helpful during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Kelly is teaching in person for her class at Main Street Elementary, plus remotely for 20-30 second- and third-graders whose families are using that option as a precaution. To teach remotely, Kelly said she sets aside time during her lunch and other breaks in the day and during the evening at home. Kelly said establishing relationships with students in class is a lot easier than online, but it is working. She said the experience this year with the coronavirus has been a great lesson in empathy for her and her students. "We have all been through the same thing together," Kelly said of the pandemic. Kelly said she also teaches her students to have a "growth mindset" by accepting responsibility for their circumstances and believing they can change them, something she strives to follow in her own life. Principal Ryan Scott said Kelly does a great job teaching academic lessons for her students, but she also goes above and beyond by teaching them to always be mindful of themselves, others and their surroundings. He said these lessons have helped her students become more mature and motivated. Scott noted that she calls her students her family and leads a "Mrs. Kelly's Learning Cafe" for them each school day. "We are really proud of her. We are lucky to have her on the (teaching) team and the kids are lucky to have her as a student," Scott said. PHOTOS: Have you seen these missing Illinois children? 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 21:50:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BRUSSELS, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- The President of the European Parliament David Sassoli decided on Thursday to self-isolate after contact with a staff member who tested positive for COVID-19, the president said on Twitter. Enditem Vice President Mike Pence, Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris and moderator Susan Page participate in the vice presidential debate in Salt Lake City. (Justin Sullivan / Pool Photo) Kamala Harris stepped into the highest-profile moment of her political career Wednesday night, deploying what she has long touted as her superpower: her ability to prosecute a case against the Trump administration. In her debate with Vice President Mike Pence, Harris used her skills as a former prosecutor to attack President Trump for his handling of the coronavirus crisis and the economy with a clarity that eluded her running mate, Joe Biden, in his chaotic debate with the president last week. The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country, she said, decrying the administrations ineptitude. The debate far tamer and more coherent than the Trump-Biden slugfest may not make much difference in the outcome of this falls election, but it could count as Harris first audition for the next one. As running mate to the 77-year-old former vice president, Harris is in the pole position for a future presidential bid, but she will not be uncontested in what will likely be a fierce internecine fight between progressives and more centrist Democrats. Harris debate performance was very helpful to the ticket going into November. Its also helpful to her brand when you look to November and beyond, said Cornell Belcher, a Democratic pollster. Pence headed into the debate in a similar position: As vice president, he should be Trumps political heir, but other ambitious Republicans, including some who share the presidents last name, are already eyeing the post-Trump White House. The debate tested Pences unshakable loyalty to Trump, which is his strongest claim to the future support of the presidents followers. You really could be seeing a preview of 2024, said Jon Thompson, a former advisor to Pence. This could be the first debate of 2024 because they could be the standard-bearers of their party. Harris is no favorite among Democrats growing progressive wing, and she has slipped a bit further to the right to align with Bidens agenda. Pence faces an array of ambitious, more-Trumpy Republicans already waiting in the wings. But as running mates to a pair of septuagenarians, one infected with COVID-19, Harris and Pence are closer to the Oval Office than any other people in America. Story continues Ironically, as they faced off, Pence did his best to portray Harris as the candidate the Democratic Partys left would like her to be, citing her past support for the Green New Deal, opposition to fracking of natural gas deposits and other policies that Biden has not embraced. Referring to her radical environmental agenda. Pence said, That is probably why the Newsweek magazine called Kamala Harris the most liberal member of the United States Senate in 2019, more liberal than Bernie Sanders. It was the latest version of a Republican campaign ploy that often makes it seem like Trump would rather run against Harris than Biden, a centrist who has proved relatively impervious to Republican efforts to portray him as a dangerous radical with a socialist agenda. Trump regularly evokes Harris name on Twitter and the campaign trail, painting her as a progressive puppet-master who will yank Biden toward radicalism. In Wednesdays debate, Harris repeatedly minimized her past differences with Biden and dedicated herself to defending and promoting him and his plans. Like Biden, she dodged a question about an emerging progressive passion the idea of expanding the Supreme Court, to overturn a solidly conservative majority among the justices that Democrats say was unfairly obtained. Pence answered the question for her: The straight answer is that they are going to pack the court if they win this election. Harris came to the debate almost surely the most important appearance she will make for the Democratic ticket with much to prove. She is little known to many American voters, so she made a point of providing pieces of her life story born to immigrants in Oakland, her career as a prosecutor and her path-breaking achievements as a Black woman. She is untested on matters of foreign policy, and it is not clear the debate would resolve doubts about her qualification to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. She mentioned she was on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and quoted Biden on the importance of rebuilding relationships with U.S. allies. The event showcased Harris strengths and weaknesses as a debater, which had become clear in her unsuccessful presidential campaign. She is skilled at delivering scripted attack lines with punch and flair as she did in her show-stopping questioning of Trump nominees in the Judiciary Committee and her attack on Bidens civil rights record in the first primary debate. She was less skillful in parrying attacks. Although there were no knockout punches Wednesday, Harris came armed with barbs. She parlayed a question about health record transparency to land a blow by reminding viewers of reports that Trump paid little or no federal income taxes. Responding to Pences attacks on the economy, she pounced on him for voting against legislation to bail out the auto industry. Her attacks on the administrations efforts to overturn the Affordable Care Act provided one of the nights most memorable lines, a warning to Americans with preexisting health conditions that theyre coming for you. And her repeated rebukes of Pences attempts to interrupt her could strike a sympathetic chord with many women voters. For his part, Pences burden was to defend a president who is under fire, weakened by a COVID-19 infection, lagging in most polls with a clear understanding that his own political future will be grim if he is only a one-term vice president. Pence clung to Trump tightly, never trying to distance himself. His biggest vulnerability was that he was in charge of the administration task force that managed the coronavirus, which a significant majority of voters see as a failure. He came with a quip against Biden when he said the Democrats plan sounded a lot like what the Trump administration was already doing. It looks a little bit like plagiarism, which is something Joe Biden knows a little bit about, he said, referring to accusations that drove Biden to quit his 1988 presidential campaign. Despite the collapse of the economy since the pandemic hit, Pence gamely predicted great things in a second Trump administration. He did part ways markedly with Trump on style: He was polite, even making a point of congratulating Harris on her historic nomination. He was more disciplined and controlled than Trump in making the case against the Democrats, although he repeatedly ignored the moderator and talked over his time limits. But mostly, he deployed none of the bluster and bravado that Trump used to disrupt his debate with Biden and his entire presidency. That may have made for a better debate, but could also raise questions about whether Pence is Trumpian enough to hold Trumps party together in the future. Times staff writer Melanie Mason in Wilmington, Del., contributed to this report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Image 1 MCUs Comstock Mining Mercury Remediation System is set to commence its Pilot Project at American Flat. MCUs Comstock Mining Mercury Remediation System is set to commence its Pilot Project at American Flat. Image 2 The Baltimore-Maryland dumps area to the left, near MCUs Comstock Mercury Remediation System Pilot Project. The Baltimore-Maryland dumps area to the left, near MCUs Comstock Mercury Remediation System Pilot Project. Image 3 Oro Industries second unit being loaded in its shipping container and is en route to the Philippines. Oro Industries second unit being loaded in its shipping container and is en route to the Philippines. VIRGINIA CITY, N.V., Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Comstock Mining Inc. (NYSE American: LODE) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Comstock Processing LLC (collectively, the Company or Comstock) and partner Mercury Clean Up LLC (MCU), a strategic investee, announced today, that it has commenced its Mercury Clean Up Pilot Study targeting the old Baltimore-Maryland waste dumps located on American Flat, in immediate proximity of MCUs mercury remediation technology and system. This follows approval from the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) that granted a final Engineering Design Change (EDC) associated with an As-Built Report for the Mercury Clean Up Pilot operating within Comstocks existing Water Pollution Control Permit -NEV2000109, including the application of process solution and within its fully contained, double-lined platform. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bcfecdd3-1265-410b-8c22-124c07456703 Mr. Paul Clift, MCU CEO stated, Our setup of the MCU process plant and DAF components is now complete, including all connections on the recycle pump to the DAF unit and the Bag Filtration unit and the landing and installation of our operating, on-site containerized Lab. With NDEPs approval now in hand, we are ready to start test processing mercury contaminated materials and proving our efficacy. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/75984079-7671-4173-abb9-b171f2ab27e1 Oro Industries has also manufactured a second unit, a state-of-the-art mercury remediation system, scheduled to arrive into Davao City on October 12, 2020 (pictured below as it was being prepared for and loaded into the shipping container), for our newly created entity, MCU Philippines Inc (MCU-P). Comstock previously announced that it had formed MCU-P, a new 50-50 joint venture between the Company and MCU, and has invested its first $1 million into this venture. MCU-P, in a joint venture with Clean Ore Solutions (COS), have joint ventured to establish Clean Mineral Recovery Technologies (CMRT) for the remediation and rehabilitation of the mercury contaminated Naboc River on Mt. Diwata, in Davao DOro, Philippines. CMRT will work in direct collaboration with the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the provincial government of Davao DOro for accelerated rehabilitation of this mine-waste contaminated river. Story continues A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8e48a7a5-c442-4177-9fc8-03080c94bcf7 Mr. Corrado De Gasperis, Executive Chairman and CEO stated, The MCU team has the Comstock system installed and ready for operation while the second system is en route to Davao. We expect the arrival of the second system into Davao City next week and we are coordinating start up activities with our joint venture partner. We are excited to commence operations, remediate mercury, prove efficacy, and generate sustained growth and positive cash flows. About Comstock Mining Inc. Comstock Mining Inc. is a Nevada-based, gold and silver mining company with extensive, contiguous property in the Comstock District and is an emerging leader in sustainable, responsible mining that is currently commercializing environment-enhancing, precious-metal-based technologies, products and processes for precious metal recovery. The Company began acquiring properties in the Comstock District in 2003. Since then, the Company has consolidated a significant portion of the Comstock District, amassed the single largest known repository of historical and current geological data on the Comstock region, secured permits, built an infrastructure and completed its first phase of production. The Company continues evaluating and acquiring properties inside and outside the district expanding its footprint and exploring all of our existing and prospective opportunities for further exploration, development and mining. The Companys goal is to grow per-share value by commercializing environment-enhancing, precious-metal-based products and processes that generate predictable cash flow (throughput) and increase the long-term enterprise value of our northern Nevada based platform. Forward-Looking Statements This press release and any related calls or discussions may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. The words believe, expect, anticipate, estimate, project, plan, should, intend, may, will, would, potential and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of doing so. Forward-looking statements include statements about matters such as: consummation of all pending transactions; project, asset or Company valuations; future industry market conditions; future explorations, acquisitions, investments and asset sales; future performance of and closings under various agreements; future changes in our exploration activities; future estimated mineral resources; future prices and sales of, and demand for, our products; future impacts of land entitlements and uses; future permitting activities and needs therefor; future production capacity and operations; future operating and overhead costs; future capital expenditures and their impact on us; future impacts of operational and management changes (including changes in the board of directors); future changes in business strategies, planning and tactics and impacts of recent or future changes; future employment and contributions of personnel, including consultants; future land sales, investments, acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, business combinations, operational, tax, financial and restructuring initiatives; the nature and timing of and accounting for restructuring charges and derivative liabilities and the impact thereof; contingencies; future environmental compliance and changes in the regulatory environment; future offerings of equity or debt securities; the possible redemption of debentures and associated costs; future working capital, costs, revenues, business opportunities, debt levels, cash flows, margins, earnings and growth. These statements are based on assumptions and assessments made by our management in light of their experience and their perception of historical and current trends, current conditions, possible future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees, representations or warranties and are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are unforeseeable and beyond our control and could cause actual results, developments and business decisions to differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Some of those risks and uncertainties include the risk factors set forth in our filings with the SEC and the following: counterparty risks; capital markets valuation and pricing risks; adverse effects of climate changes or natural disasters; global economic and capital market uncertainties; the speculative nature of gold or mineral exploration, including risks of diminishing quantities or grades of qualified resources; operational or technical difficulties in connection with exploration or mining activities; contests over title to properties; potential dilution to our stockholders from our stock issuances and recapitalization and balance sheet restructuring activities; potential inability to comply with applicable government regulations or law; adoption of or changes in legislation or regulations adversely affecting businesses; permitting constraints or delays; decisions regarding business opportunities that may be presented to, or pursued by, us or others; the impact of, or the non-performance by parties under agreements relating to, acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, business combinations, asset sales, leases, options and investments to which we may be party; changes in the United States or other monetary or fiscal policies or regulations; interruptions in production capabilities due to capital constraints; equipment failures; fluctuation of prices for gold or certain other commodities (such as silver, zinc, cyanide, water, diesel fuel and electricity); changes in generally accepted accounting principles; adverse effects of terrorism and geopolitical events; potential inability to implement business strategies; potential inability to grow revenues; potential inability to attract and retain key personnel; interruptions in delivery of critical supplies, equipment and raw materials due to credit or other limitations imposed by vendors or others; assertion of claims, lawsuits and proceedings; potential inability to satisfy debt and lease obligations; potential inability to maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting; potential inability or failure to timely file periodic reports with the SEC; potential inability to list our securities on any securities exchange or market; inability to maintain the listing of our securities; and work stoppages or other labor difficulties. Occurrence of such events or circumstances could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows or the market price of our securities. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements by or attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Except as may be required by securities or other law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Neither this press release nor any related calls or discussions constitutes an offer to sell, the solicitation of an offer to buy or a recommendation with respect to any securities of the Company, the fund or any other issuer. Contact information: Comstock Mining, Inc. P.O. Box 1118 Virginia City, NV 89440 ComstockMining.com Corrado DeGasperis Executive Chairman & CEO Tel (775) 847-4755 degasperis@comstockmining.com Zach Spencer Director of External Relations Tel (775) 847-5272 ext.151 questions@comstockmining.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 23:12:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANGKOK, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's National Security Council Secretary-General Natthaphon Nakpanit on Thursday has confirmed that no tourists will arrive in Thailand's resort island of Phuket until its annual vegetarian festival is over by the end of this month. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival will be taking place in Phuket with light and sound, performances and food stalls lines up in Phuket's major towns from Oct. 17 to 25. Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew also made an abrupt announcement on social media on Wednesday that he had decided to delay the arrival of tourists out of concern that local residents may fear going outdoor to celebrate the festival with the presence of foreign tourists. The first group of 150 Chinese nationals with special tourist visas (STV) was earlier to be allowed entry into the country on Oct. 8. Narong said that the Chinese tourists have agreed to come after Oct. 25. Narong said that allowing the Vegetarian Festival to go ahead this year took a lot of discussion and was a decision not made lightly. "Many Thais from other provinces will come to the festival, and there were concerns that foreigners coming to watch the festival may bring the virus to Phuket," he said. "I thank the Phuket shrines for their efforts to comply with the health protection measures needed. The decision whether or not to hold the festival was reconsidered again and again. It took a long time to think about (whether or not to hold) the Vegetarian Festival this year, but it will go ahead because it is a part of Phuket's traditions," Narong said. Enditem 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. 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. Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Royal family does not want Meghan and Harry to visit UK Gigi Hadid imitates image of Russian Armenian poet in national costume (PHOTOS) Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Tata Steel Masters: Magnus Carlsen is sole leader Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Manchester United beat West Ham Hoffenheim lose to Borussia Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor Arsenal intend to extend deal of Mikel Arteta Johnny Depp returns to cinema after high-profile scandal with his ex-wife British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Why is Kanye West threatening Netflix? Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO Vaccination against COVID-19 is mandatory for footballers in Brazil First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas become parents Arnold Schwarzenegger faces accident (PHOTOS) AusOpen: Simona Halep came out in the fourth round Comedian Louis Anderson dies aged 68 Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran Barcelona want to sign Juventus defender Ansu Fati may miss 2 months because of injury France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Cristiano Ronaldo may miss home match against West Ham Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws Antonio Rudiger demands annual salary of 55 million euros from Chelsea 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 Aston Villa sign new contract with Emiliano Martinez 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 Main signs of stroke Lavrov summarizes the results of talks with Blinken Netflix announces creation of entire universe based on The Squid Game series AusOpen Rafael Nadal defeats Karen Khachanov UN agrees on definition of Holocaust denial Lavrov and Blinken talks kick off in Geneva Juventus make offer to Dusan Vlahovic 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 Why is Omicron strain so dangerous for children? 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 First film studio in space to be set up for Tom Cruise movie Armenia FM highlights need for full resumption of Karabakh peace talks Singer Robbie Williams to sell three of Banksy's works 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 Tottenham extend contract with Hugo Lloris Armenia Tourism Committee has new chairperson AusOpen Zverev moves into 4th round 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 American cult actor and rock musician Meat Loaf dies aged 75 Warships of Russia, Iran and China work out counteraction to maritime piracy Armenia first deputy minister of justice dismissed Roma congratulate Mkhitaryan Israeli defense minister tests positive for COVID-19 Karabakh conflict resumption likelihood is moderate, its impact on US interests is low, report says Liverpool set new record A person is tested for COVID-19 at a drive-through testing centre in a car park at Chessington World of Adventures, in Chessington, Greater London, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020. Britain recorded 14,542 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, the highest daily total since the coronavirus outbreak began. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) The British government is mulling fresh restrictions on everyday life in England, potentially in the big northern cities such as Liverpool and Manchester, amid mounting fears that hospitals in coronavirus hot spots may soon be overwhelmed by growing numbers of patients. With the number of people needing to go to the hospital with virus-related conditions rising, and in some areas in the north of England alarmingly so, the pressure on the government to do more is mounting. "We are currently considering what steps we should take, obviously taking the advice of our scientific and medical advisers, and a decision will be made shortly," British Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick told the BBC on Thursday. "In some parts of the country, the number of cases are rising very fast and we are taking that very seriously," he added. Because the virus has been accelerating at differing speeds around England, the government has opted for local restrictions to combat the spread. The differing rules though have stoked confusion and there is growing speculation the government will back a new simplified three-tier system for England soon, potentially coming into force as soon as next week. Hot spots, notably in the big cities of northern England, such as Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle, could under this new system see restrictions tightened akin to the way they already have in Scotland. People wearing face masks walk across Westminster Bridge, in London, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020. Like other countries in Europe, the U.K. has seen rising coronavirus infections over the past few weeks, which has prompted the government to announce a series of restrictions, both nationally and locally, to keep a lid on infections. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) Among measures coming into force in Scotland on Friday, pubs in the two biggest cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh, have been ordered to close for 16 days. Pubs in England only reopened in early July, having shut their doors to customers on March 20 as part of the wider national lockdown. As elsewhere in Europe, restrictions have been reimposed in the U.K., which has witnessed the continent's deadliest virus outbreak, with an official death toll of 42,515. The spike had been widely predicted in the wake of the reopening of the hospitality sector, shops and places of learning. In many areas of northern England, national measures, such as the closure of pubs and restaurants at 10 p.m. have been augmented by tighter local actions, such as banning contact between households. However, there is growing evidence to show that those areas that have seen additional restrictions have not experienced a slowdown in the epidemic. In some areas, the number of new infections is 10 times higher than when the localized restrictions were announced. A woman wearing a face mask walks across Westminster Bridge, in London, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) Many local leaders are aghast at what they say has been a lack of communication from the Conservative government over further measures that may be in the offing. Andy Burnham, the Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, is becoming increasingly aghast at the government's lack of communication with him and the other regional leaders on the front line of the current outbreak. "I am prepared to consider restrictions but they have to be number one, evidence-based, and they have to come with support," he said on the BBC. "They have to get rid of the contradictory measures that are in place; for instance, the 10 p.m. curfew, which I think contradicts local restrictions because it acts as an incentive for more gatherings in the home," he said. The daily figures provided by the government clearly show the numbers heading in the wrong direction, from new infections through to deaths. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wears a mask to protect from coronavirus, in the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood prior to a making a statement outlining further coronavirus restrictions for Scotland, in Edinburgh, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020. The Scottish government is banning indoor drinking at bars and forcing restaurants to close in the evening to help contain the coronavirus. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says the measures were "a short, sharp action" and will last for 16 days starting Friday. (Andrew Milligan/PA via AP) A woman wears a face mask as she sits on a bus, in London, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020. Like other countries in Europe, the U.K. has seen rising coronavirus infections over the past few weeks, which has prompted the government to announce a series of restrictions, both nationally and locally, to keep a lid on infections. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) The London Eye on the south bank of the river Thames, as the sun rises, in London, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) The latest figures on Wednesday showed another 14,162 cases, which is double the amount that was being reported the previous week. The number of people being hospitalized increased by 508 and the daily death toll rose by 70. But behind the national numbers lurk huge regional variations, which has led to calls for more concerted local actions to be taken. The enforced closure of businesses will undoubtedly cause further economic damage to hot spots, and unions are demanding that the government accompanies any lockdown changes with a financial support package to prevent mass unemployment. The umbrella Trades Union Congress is urging the government to announce local job retention programs, whereby it steps in to pay the lion's share of the salaries of those workers who have been forced to go idle. A national program that has helped keep a lid on unemployment in the country is due to end at the end of October. "In areas facing high infection rates and further business closures, the government must act to preserve jobs and stop family firms going to the wall through a new local furlough scheme," the TUC's general secretary, Frances O'Grady, said. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. A toddler has died inside a locked car after her father refused to break a window to get her out, claiming he couldnt afford to replace the glass. One-year-old Sayah Deal died on Monday in Las Vegas after her dad, Sidney Deal, accidentally locked her in his vehicle in 35 degree heat. Deal, who has been arrested on a felony child abuse charge, had locked his keys in the car with the engine running, and claimed the air conditioning was on. Sayah was unresponsive after being pulled from the car. Source: 8NewsNow He initially refused to let witnesses or patrol officers break a vehicle window, saying he just bought the car and didnt have repair money, according to a police report obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Deal reportedly made a call to his brother, who also offered to break the window when he arrived at the scene, authorities said. But the father declined, instead asking his brother to call their mum to arrange a locksmith through her insurance company. Deals girlfriend claimed the insurance company gave her a quote for a tow truck, but he told her to hang up because the price was too high, the Las Vegas Sun reported. After police had been on the scene for several minutes, they ignored Deals requests and smashed the window to pull Sayah out - but she was unresponsive and could not be saved. Sidney Deal has been charged with child abuse. Source: 8NewsNow Its believed she was trapped in the car for at least an hour. The Clark County coroner has not ruled on the girls cause of death. Sayahs mother, Mariah Coleman, said she felt numb, hurt and disappointed after her babys death. I want answers, she told local media 8 News Now. I just want to know why her dad wouldnt be a regular dad and bust the windows out and do what he had to do as a parent. Its not making sense to me at all. A memorial was held for Sayah the day after her death, with about 100 people gathering to mourn her. Close to 100 people gathered to farewell Sayah at a memorial in Las Vegas the day after her death. Source: AP - with Associated Press 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 23:14:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he won't participate in a virtual debate with 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden after organizers plan to stage the rivals' next face-off virtually to protect the health and safety of those involved. "I'm not going to do a virtual debate," Trump, who's recovering from COVID-19 at the White House, said in an interview with Fox Business. "I'm not going to waste my time with a virtual debate. That's not what debating is all about. You sit behind a computer and do a debate, that is ridiculous," Trump said. The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) announced Thursday morning that the second Trump-Biden encounter, scheduled for Oct. 15, "will take the form of a town meeting, in which the candidates would participate from separate remote locations." The town meeting participants and the moderator, it added, will be located at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida. Bill Stepien, Trump's campaign manager, said in a statement that "there is no need for this unilateral declaration," referring to the change to the debate format. "The safety of all involved can easily be achieved without canceling a chance for voters to see both candidates go head to head," said Stepien, who also recently tested positive for COVID-19. "We'll pass on this sad excuse to bail out Joe Biden and do a rally instead," Stepien said. The presidential candidates met for their first debate in the race in Cleveland, Ohio on Sept. 29, two days before the incumbent tested positive for COVID-19. Biden has undergone multiple tests since Trump's diagnosis, with each one returning negative. The former vice president has said the second debate should not be held if his Republican opponent still has the virus. Kate Bedingfield, Biden's deputy campaign manager, said on Thursday that the Democrat intends to take part in the virtual debate next week. "Vice President Biden looks forward to speaking directly to the American people and comparing his plan for bringing the country together and building back better with Donald Trump's failed leadership on the coronavirus that has thrown the strong economy he inherited into the worst downturn since the Great Depression," the spokesperson said in a statement. Frank Fahrenkopf, head of the CPD, told CNN that the panel spoke with both campaigns "just before" it announced the decision to hold the Miami debate virtually, but did not consult with them about the decision. Fahrenkopf added that the decision has the support of the Cleveland Clinic, the commission's health advisers, while also acknowledging that it is fully within Trump's right to decline to debate. "There is no law requiring any presidential candidate to debate," he explained. "So it is up to every candidate to decide whether they want to debate or not." Trump returned to the White House on Monday, where he continues to receive COVID-19 treatment after a three-day hospitalization. Speaking to Fox Business on Thursday, the president said he is feeling "perfect," while appearing eager to hit the campaign trail as Biden's lead over him in national polls is widening. "I think I'm better ... to a point where I'd love to do a rally tonight. I wanted to do one last night," Trump said. "I feel perfect. There's nothing wrong." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that individuals self-isolate for at least 10 days after the onset of symptoms from COVID-19, which has infected more than 7.55 million people and killed nearly 212,000 in the United States. Enditem Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Royal family does not want Meghan and Harry to visit UK Gigi Hadid imitates image of Russian Armenian poet in national costume (PHOTOS) Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Tata Steel Masters: Magnus Carlsen is sole leader Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Manchester United beat West Ham Hoffenheim lose to Borussia Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor Arsenal intend to extend deal of Mikel Arteta Johnny Depp returns to cinema after high-profile scandal with his ex-wife British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Why is Kanye West threatening Netflix? Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO Vaccination against COVID-19 is mandatory for footballers in Brazil First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas become parents Arnold Schwarzenegger faces accident (PHOTOS) AusOpen: Simona Halep came out in the fourth round Comedian Louis Anderson dies aged 68 Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran Barcelona want to sign Juventus defender Ansu Fati may miss 2 months because of injury France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Cristiano Ronaldo may miss home match against West Ham Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws Antonio Rudiger demands annual salary of 55 million euros from Chelsea 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 Aston Villa sign new contract with Emiliano Martinez 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 Main signs of stroke Lavrov summarizes the results of talks with Blinken Netflix announces creation of entire universe based on The Squid Game series AusOpen Rafael Nadal defeats Karen Khachanov UN agrees on definition of Holocaust denial Lavrov and Blinken talks kick off in Geneva Juventus make offer to Dusan Vlahovic 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 Why is Omicron strain so dangerous for children? 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 First film studio in space to be set up for Tom Cruise movie Armenia FM highlights need for full resumption of Karabakh peace talks Singer Robbie Williams to sell three of Banksy's works 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 Tottenham extend contract with Hugo Lloris Armenia Tourism Committee has new chairperson AusOpen Zverev moves into 4th round 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 American cult actor and rock musician Meat Loaf dies aged 75 Warships of Russia, Iran and China work out counteraction to maritime piracy Armenia first deputy minister of justice dismissed Roma congratulate Mkhitaryan Israeli defense minister tests positive for COVID-19 Karabakh conflict resumption likelihood is moderate, its impact on US interests is low, report says Liverpool set new record - Korina Sanchez has already signed a contract with Brightlight Productions for her new show on TV5 - She also opened up regarding her decision to transfer to the said network amid the franchise issue of ABS-CBN - The prominent broadcast-journalist admitted that she is happy and honored to be part of TV5 - Her upcoming magazine show entitled Rated Korina will premiere on October 24 PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Korina Sanchez graced an interview with the media regarding her decision to transfer to TV5 amid the franchise renewal issue of the Kapamilya network. KAMI learned that the said broadcast-journalist and her show entitled Rated K can already be watched on TV5 starting October 24. This was revealed during her contract signing with Brightlight Productions on Wednesday. The prominent personality admitted that she is very happy and honored to be part of TV5 and to be seen by viewers on free TV. Alam mo na, syempre, pero those are the usual words. But of course, I mean it and its a happy day today, she quipped. It hasnt really been that long so thats why I feel very, very blessed that I didnt have to wait for so long for me to come out again on free TV. As people know, Ive been producing in Facebook digitally, pero iba pa rin syempre if youre on free TV, she added. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Korina Sanchez (Courtesy of Flickr) Source: UGC Korina also mentioned that she already worked with some personalities from TV5 so she considers her transfer as a continuation of their glory days. It was also disclosed that the veteran journalist will go to Cebu for the pilot episode of Rated Korina on TV5. I know many friends who are in TV5, which is like having family again. Familiar faces, people I worked with all these years in journalism and in broadcasting. So parang tuloy lang ang ligaya, she said. Well, maraming nangulila dahil nawalan ng tahanan ang Rated K from before. So, its practically... its the same thing, probably even better because Im a lot more active now. Theres no politics in my life now so I can concentrate, like, going all over the country again, she added. PAY ATTENTION: Shop with KAMI! The best offers and discounts on the market, product reviews and feedback Watch the video below: Korina Sanchez is one of the most popular broadcast-journalists in the Philippines. She has already won numerous awards in her many years of being in the journalism industry. She recently expressed gratitude to ABS-CBN for the past 30 years that she became part of the said network. The said personality also got touched by twins Pepe and Pilars birthday surprise for her. POPULAR: Read more news about Korina Sanchez! Please like and share our Facebook posts to support KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinion about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts! Source: KAMI.com.gh The government and private sector are eyeing new methods of borrowing, including through green and sukuk Islamic bonds At a time when governments of both poor and rich countries as well as many corporates are suffering from the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, more means to finance their spending needs are being sought through borrowing. Green bonds, being bonds issued to finance climate-related or environmentally friendly projects, as well as sukuks, or Islamic Sharia-compliant bonds, are making the headlines in Egypt with the news of the oversubscription of Egypts first-ever green bond issue being pointed to by the Ministry of Finance and the Talaat Moustafa Groups sukuk issue, the first in Egypt, also having its debut on the local stock market last week. The two new financing measures have come as other sources of traditional financing are being exhausted. Resorting to international financial organisations like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has noticeably increased since the outbreak of the pandemic, with more than 70 countries, Egypt included, applying for rapid credit facilities to face coronavirus-induced economic challenges. However, most of these facilities are linked to reform conditions that come at a social cost. And while issuing bonds locally or internationally is a means of raising funds that Egypt has been using for a while, the high yields it has had to pay investors in these instruments has also added much to the countrys fiscal burdens. International investors have pumped billions of dollars into Egypts sovereign debt market since the devaluation of the Egyptian pound in 2016. The overall value of foreign holdings of Egyptian sovereign bills and bonds rose to $16.9 billion by the end of August from $14.1 billion a month earlier. Egypt pays the second-highest yield on sovereign bills and bonds among the worlds emerging markets. The country has also been tapping the international debt markets through Eurobond issues, the latest of which was in May when it sold $5 billion worth of bonds, its largest-ever issue. Overall debt-servicing is now eating up more than 20 per cent of Egypts state revenues. Accordingly, the government is working on a new funding strategy aimed at locking in new sources of financing and broadening its investor base, explaining its interest in the newly adopted green and sukuk bonds. The $750 million green bond issue that will be used to finance environmentally friendly and renewable energy projects was five times oversubscribed. The sale had put Egypt on the map of sustainable financing, the Finance Ministry said, adding that interested buyers had included new investor bases from Europe, the US, East Asia, and the Middle East, as well as asset managers and pension, investment, and insurance funds. The ministry said that such diversified, long-term, and high-quality investors would reduce the price volatility of the bonds. The high demand is another manifestation of rising global interest in green investments. According to the US financial service Bloomberg, the value of assets covered by the US Morningstar Sustainability Index, which measures a companys compliance with environmental and social regulations, have doubled to $250 billion in the past three years. Egypt is riding this wave, as it is working on a $1.9 billion portfolio of potential green projects. Egyptian companies will soon join with the Commercial International Bank (CIB) planning a green bond issuance next month, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) is set to snatch the first tranche of the $65 million five-year bonds offering. The Ministry of Finance is also planning its first sukuk, or Islamic bonds, issue in both the local and international markets during the current fiscal year. Sukuk will help us diversify our investor base as well as reduce borrowing costs, given that yields on sukuk are less than on [regular] bonds, Mohamed Hegazi, head of the Finance Ministrys debt-management unit, told Bloomberg. The investor targets are mainly Islamic banks and funds in Egypt and the Gulf, which Hegazi said keep asking us about Islamic products. According to the information service Investopedia, sukuk is a Sharia-compliant bond-like instruments used in Islamic finance. Since the traditional interest-paying bond structure is not thought to be permissible under Islamic Law, the issuer of a sukuk essentially sells the investor a certificate, and then uses the proceeds to purchase an asset that the investor has direct partial ownership interest in. Sukuk holders thus do not receive interest payments, but instead they receive a portion of the earnings generated by the associated asset. The issuer must also make a contractual promise to buy back the bond at a future date at par value. Local corporations have already tried their luck in this market. The Talaat Moustafa Group (TMG), the leading real-estate developer, is the first Egyptian company to have listed sukuk traded on the local stock exchange. Its exchange-listing committee two weeks ago approved the LE2 billion listing for the Arab Company for Projects and Urban Development, a TMG subsidiary. The decision came as part of TMGs plans to issue LE4.5 to LE5 billion sukuks to finance its real-estate projects. The sukuk offering was 2.5 times oversubscribed in April during the private placement, and the state-owned Banque Misr, Banque du Caire, and Suez Canal Bank alone cornered 97 per cent of the issue. The sukuk has a tenor of five years, is open for trading, is not transferable to shares, and each will have a nominal value of LE100. The proceeds of the subscription will be used to complete the Madinaty open-air mall and to improve the market value of the mall by the time of inauguration to LE8.5 billion. Investors will receive periodic payments based on the profits generated by the mall. The sukuk is now publicly traded. More sukuk offerings worth a combined LE4.5 billion are expected to go to market this year, including Sarwa Capitals planned LE2.5 billion issue and another LE2 billion issue by the Amer Group. *A version of this article appears in print in the 8 October, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: When Daniel Oliverio finally received his first unemployment check in August four months after he was laid off because of the coronavirus pandemic the first thing he did was buy fresh vegetables. Oliverio, the former sports information director for Seton Hill University, a small school outside Pittsburgh, had been subsisting on 70-cent hot dogs and canned goods. Those unemployment benefits, which arrived after months of phone calls to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, were lifesaving, he said. Down to his last few hundred dollars and without the hope of finding a job, Oliverio, 35, said he was on the cusp of losing everything. "Luckily, I had my girlfriend and I had my family to keep encouraging me," he said. "If I didn't, it may have ended up a lot darker than it was. Because you definitely get depressed. You definitely go to a place where you get a little scared sometimes with your own thoughts." Many families across the United States continue to face those same struggles seven months into the pandemic: 25.5 million people remain unemployed and first-time unemployment claims totaled 840,000 last week, a higher-than-expected number. Yet the hope that the millions without work may receive further help from Congress and the White House is low, as Democrats and Republicans remain at an impasse over a next stimulus bill. Support from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed in March, has run out. Its additional unemployment benefits, support for small businesses, industry relief, funds for hospitals and nursing homes to buy personal protective equipment, aid for state and local governments and other protections are gone, even as economists and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warn that further help is needed. President Donald Trump has muddied the waters as negotiations remain at a standstill. He tweeted at first on Tuesday that the White House and Republicans would pull out from negotiations, only to post hours later that he supported some aspects of the bill. His late-night second round of tweets included support for $1,200 stimulus checks for Americans and financial aid to the airline industry, as well as further Paycheck Protection Program loans for small businesses. Story continues Image: Nancy Pelosi (Gabriella Demczuk / Getty Images) When asked by reporters Wednesday about Trump's tweets, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., dismissed his pivots as political theater. "All the president wants is his name on a check," she said. "We're here to honor our heroes, crush the virus, put money in the pockets of the American people beyond a check with his name on it." To the millions of Americans who remain unemployed because of the economic crisis, the discussions in Washington or lack thereof cause only further anxiety during an especially difficult year. "Disney just laid off thousands, and the airlines did, too, so why is it taking so long?" asked Harriet Tuch, 71, of Boca Raton, Florida, who was furloughed from her job as a stenographer in March. "They should have something. The House passed something in May, and it probably has sat on McConnell's desk ever since. It's October, so what are they doing?" Millions unemployed with no deal in sight Economists warned when the CARES Act passed that additional funds would likely be needed to further prop up the economy. The $2.2 trillion in the legislation was a stopgap measure for the economy and individual Americans during the months of lockdown, economists said, rather than a stimulus measure to boost a recovery. "I think it makes sense to turn the conversation to: Do we actually want to try to get the recovery to go faster now that we're through the crisis period?" said Jesse Edgerton, senior economist at JPMorgan Chase. That sentiment mirrors what Powell said Tuesday. Waiting to pass more stimulus measures, he said, could "lead to a weak recovery, creating unnecessary hardship for households and businesses." "Even if policy actions ultimately prove to be greater than needed, they will not go to waste," Powell added. "The recovery will be stronger and move faster if monetary policy and fiscal policy continue to work side by side to provide support to the economy until it is clearly out of the woods." Some economists argue that the recovery has also taken a step back after federal unemployment benefits expired at the end of July. The CARES Act provided $600 a week to those without work, which created a ripple effect, helping support businesses and jobs across the country. Now those dollars have disappeared, and with them about $667 billion from the economy in August alone, according to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The expiration of the benefits also makes it difficult for some people to keep their lives together. Without that $600, Dominic Basile said, he barely has enough money to get through the rest of October. Before the pandemic, Basile was adding to his savings while paying off his home in North Carolina and his student loans. Unable to get a paycheck protection loan to help a consultancy business he started in January despite having lost more than 75 percent of his work when the pandemic struck, Basile finally was able to receive unemployment benefits in August. Now that support is gone, too, and he feels like Congress and the White House do not consider him or the millions of others who are in a similar position as priorities. "They literally are saying, 'We're not going to be able to finish this,'" he said. "Why is that OK? They still get paid, they still have health insurance, and they can just wait until the election? Meanwhile, for me it's a lot of sleepless nights. It means a lot of stress that I can't control, because I don't know my living situation, my career and whether I can keep my car, my house, even my dog." 'Biggest fiscal challenge we have ever faced' Trump said he was pulling out of negotiations over the stimulus bill because the money would go to state and local governments. His tweet Tuesday afternoon claimed that Pelosi was asking "for $2.4 Trillion Dollars to bailout poorly run, high crime, Democrat States, money that is in no way related to COVID-19." (The aid package House Democrats passed last week was really for $2.2 trillion.) Image: Donald Trump (Evan Vucci / AP) Chokwe Lumumba, the mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, said the president has attached the idea of financial support for communities to politics, rather than people in need. His and Congress slow response is forcing many Jackson residents to return to the labor force and put themselves in close contact with one another during the pandemic, he said. "The virus feeds on the fact that people are in such a financially insecure place to begin with that the notion of socially distancing is a luxury in and of itself it is a privilege," Lumumba said. "And so these are all of the things that are taking place and are worsening because of an impasse and inability to reach an agreement." Lumumba has asked the states Congressional delegation, including its two Republican senators, for help they "have been kind in their responses but unwilling to commit to anything." But as lawmakers in Washington tussle, the financial realities for the governments in their home states continue to worsen. State and local governments will face a $500 billion shortfall over the next two fiscal years, with more than 4 million jobs at stake, Moody's Analytics reported. Last week's jobs report showed that 1.2 million state and local government jobs have already disappeared over the past seven months. Larry Hogan, the Republican governor of Maryland, called it "the biggest fiscal challenge we have ever faced" late last month. The push for greater support for states has been intense as they sink further into financial holes. Any resulting austerity measures could mean cuts to essential services, layoffs, education funding shortfalls and more, economists warn. It's a lesson that Heidi Schierholz, director of policy at the nonprofit Economic Policy Institute who was chief economist at the Labor Department during the Obama administration, said she thought the country had learned from the Great Recession: A lack of support for state and local governments will put a drag on the economy and slow the recovery. "Austerity at the state and local level could cost millions of jobs," Schierholz said. "It's just massive, and it makes me want to scream, because this is a totally unforced error. We know how this plays out." An uneven recovery continues Even though the country has recovered about half the jobs it lost in March and April, economists warn that the recovery remains uneven and fairly precarious. At the end of August, a month after the CARES Act's unemployment benefits expired, there were 6.6 million more people out of work than there were available jobs. A slowdown in hiring and a small gain of jobs in September shows a recovery that has become increasingly fragile. And many of the jobs that are returning are not secure. In August and September, 27 percent of workers who returned to their jobs after having been laid off because of the pandemic said they have been laid off a second time, and 36 percent said they were told they could be laid off again, according to data gathered by the international research company Real-Time Interactive World-Wide Intelligence and Cornell University. While high-income employees have largely recovered, it is low-wage workers who face a difficult comeback one much worse than in past recessions. "The losses have been so disproportionately high among low-wage workers because they oftentimes have the most public-facing jobs and because we still don't have the virus under control," Schierholz said. "There's clearly no vaccine or effective treatment, and we also haven't put in the public health measures that would make truly successful reopenings possible." Ultimately, eyes remain on Congress and the White House, although not many people express hope. Whether it is their financial or their literal health, voters appear to feel as though lawmakers in Washington are playing politics with their lives. It is a frustration during an already perilous year. "In my opinion, they're dragging their feet, because right now it's an election year, because you can lose more votes by actually making a decision than you can by just kind of talking about how they need to come to a decision," said Oliverio, the former Pennsylvania college employee. "Well, that's great. But you're not actually going to come to a decision that will help anyone, and, in the meantime, people are still suffering." 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. Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws 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 Megans message was amplified due to her own experience as a victim of gun violence, from rapper Tory Lanez, she alleges. According to Megans account, the two got into an argument in July, and he fired several gunshots at her as she left the vehicle in which they were traveling. The incident resulted in injuries to her feet. Lanez, who was arrested that night, has yet to officially comment on the incident, although he claimed in an album released in September that he did not shoot Megan. Ambassador of Belarus S.Chepurnoy participates in the ceremony of handing over of fire-fighting machines to the Mongolian National Emergency Management Agency On October 7, 2020 the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Mongolia, Stanislav Chepurnoy, took part in the solemn ceremony of handing over to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) of Mongolia the first part of fire-fighting and rescue machines on MAZ chassis, delivered under the Agreement between Governments of two countries. The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia, Yangug Sodbaatar, the head of the NEMA, Gombojav Ariunbuyan, acting Mayor of Ulanbaatar, Zhantsan Batbayasgalan. In his welcoming speech, the Ambassador S.Chepurnoy highly appreciated the Belarusian-Mongolian cooperation and noted the prospects for the implementation of joint projects under the export credit scheme, stressing the particular importance of the successful implementation of the first project for the supply of Belarusian fire-fighting machines. During the ceremony, the Ambassador S.Chepurnoy had a short conversation with the Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia Y.Sodbaatar, during which the practical implementation of the project for the modernization of the NEMA machinery park was discussed. print version 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 It almost seems like a fluke that a rescued dog named Eba is helping save killer whales off the coast of Washington state. When the mixed-breed dog was just a few weeks old, someone dumped her outside of the Sacramento animal shelter in California. She weighed just 3.5 pounds and was so cold, wet and lethargic that she needed to warm up on a heating pad before shelter staff could even take her temperature. But after months of care, Eba pulled through. After several mishaps, including wandering away from her foster home, she happened to be adopted by Dr. Deborah Giles, a killer whale researcher at the University of Washington Center for Conservation Biology. I had no idea when I kept her that she was going to become a conservation canine, Giles told TODAY. Eba smells the wind. (Provided by Dr. Deborah Giles / Courtesy of UW/Center for Conservation Biology) Conservation Canines is a program of the Center for Conservation Biology that rescues dogs from shelters and trains them to detect wildlife scat, aka poop. The dogs typically have a strong toy drive and high energy levels that can land them in shelters traits that also make them well-suited for detection work. Their reward for a successful find is playing with a toy. Giles got an inkling that Eba could be more than a family pet after her dog kept shoving a ball into the hand of a colleague, trying to get him to play. Later, she asked Dr. Samuel Wasser, the programs director, if she could try taking Eba out on a boat on the Salish Sea, where she studies Southern Resident killer whales off the Canadian Gulf Islands and Washington states San Juan Islands. Eba the whale poop-sniffing dog wears goggles on a sunny day at sea. (Provided by Dr. Deborah Giles / Courtesy of UW/Center for Conservation Biology) Sure enough, Eba was a natural. The stocky 30-pound dog has a lower center of gravity, so she doesn't have any issues staying upright and confident on the water. After a few weeks of learning to associate the scent of Southern Resident orca scat with a toy, she was ready to work. By Ebas second day on the water July 6, 2019 she found her first wild whale scat by herself, which was amazing, Giles said. Conservation biologists like Giles can learn a lot about the health of a whale from their scat, such as measuring stress levels, identifying whether a whale is pregnant and how far along she is, distinguishing recent meals and detecting the presence of chemicals and other pollutants. Story continues Whale biologists hold vials of whale poop found by a conservation canine. (Provided by Dr. Deborah Giles / Courtesy of UW/Center for Conservation Biology) There are currently only 74 Southern Resident killer whales, including two babies, so finding scat and collecting scientific data is vitally important to help inform policymakers and the public. The scat of Southern Resident killer whales is smaller than some species and not easy to see from far away, and researchers try to keep their distance from whales to avoid disturbing them and causing stress. Thats where the dog comes in because they can smell these things from a mile away literally a mile away, she said. Eba the dog and conservation biologists hunt for whale scat. (Provided by Dr. Deborah Giles / Courtesy of UW/Center for Conservation Biology) When Eba alerts on a scent, Giles immediately notices. The dog is on the front of the boat just kind of hanging out and sniffing, and then when she gets a hit, she has a pretty massive behavior change, she said. Eba will start whining, licking her lips and heading toward the direction of the scent. Often shell bolt out of her crate to get to the edge of the boat. Whales pass by a boat with a dog and a researcher. (Provided by Dr. Deborah Giles / Courtesy of UW/Center for Conservation Biology) As the handler, Giles uses hand signals to communicate the dogs position to the boats driver, who might have to change course numerous times as the scat moves along with the water. As we pass through the center of scent cone, which is the strongest portion of that smell, shell whip around to the side of the boat to tell us, Hey, wait a minute youve passed it. Thats when we turn into the wind. Then it might be a series of zigzags back and forth, she said. Its amazing the dogs can do this work. Related: Magawa, an African giant pouched rat, can help clear land mines from an area the size of a tennis court in just 30 minutes. Ebas work will be featured on the upcoming PBS series The Age of Nature. Narrated by Uma Thurman and filmed on all seven continents, the three-part documentary premieres Oct. 14 and explores humanitys relationship with nature and wildlife. Meet an unusual research assistant during The Age of Nature, a documentary series that explores humanitys relationship with nature and wildlife. #AgeOfNaturePBS begins Wed, Oct 14 at 10/9c. https://t.co/ihbfPKQKhe PBS (@PBS) October 7, 2020 Though Eba also has her own social media pages and website and has appeared in other television programs, shes unfazed by her celebrity. She just loves her job and starts wiggling with joy as soon as Giles turns down the road toward the boat. Shes really the perfect dog for this work, Giles said. Shes helping answer questions that will go to recovering an endangered species of beloved animals. By Bahk Eun-ji Han Won-joo, director of internal medicine at Magnus Rehabilitation and Nursing Hospital, who was 94 years old and cared for patients until the last minute, died of chronic disease on Sept. 30, according to her bereaved family, Thursday. Han Won-ju /Yonhap Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 20:38:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Russian warplanes carried out seven airstrikes on positions of the Islamic State (IS) militant group in the eastern Syrian province of Deir al-Zour on Thursday, a war monitor reported. The airstrikes targeted an area in the desert region in the countryside of al-Mayadeen city in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Britain-based watchdog said the IS militants usually launch attacks on Syrian government forces from the targeted area. A day earlier, two pro-government fighters were killed by the explosion of two landmines in the desert of al-Mayadeen. According to the Observatory, 822 Syrian soldiers and pro-government fighters as well as 439 IS militants have been killed in the desert battles since March. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 19:44:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LAGOS, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- At least 12 travelers were kidnapped on Wednesday night in Nigeria's southern state of Delta, local police said Thursday. The travelers were abducted by a group of unidentified gunmen along a road in Ughelli North council area of the state, Onome Onowakpoyeya, the state police spokesperson told Xinhua in a short message. He said efforts are currently undertaken to rescue the suspects. Godfrey Akpan, a commercial driver who witnessed the incident, told Xinhua more than five vehicles were intercepted by the kidnappers. Enditem As she neared the end of her second pregnancy, Sarah-Grace Richardson experienced the most excruciating headaches shes ever had. It felt like lightning was striking my brain, the 24-year-old from Greensburg, Indiana told TODAY. This was really weird, too, because I dont really get headaches ever. Sarah-Grace Richardson's severe headaches were a sign that she was having a postpartum stroke. (Courtesy Sarah-Grace Richardson) Then she delivered her son, Everett, and became sick afterward. She was stunned by unexpected vomiting because her first pregnancy and delivery was so uneventful and she assumed the second would be the same. I was just vomiting, she said. "Doctors didnt really know why." She returned home with Everett for a day before the headaches struck again and she knew something was seriously amiss. I couldnt get my limbs to move correctly, Richardson explained. I couldnt move the right side of my body at all. After having a rare postpartum stroke, Sarah-Grace Richardson couldn't move any of her limbs. Therapy helped her relearn skills, such as standing, talking and eventually walking. (Courtesy Sarah-Grace Richardson) Richardson had experienced a postpartum stroke. She is sharing her story to help others understand how it happens. Id like to be raising awareness, she said. Dont spend your whole pregnancy in fear of that happening, but just know the signs. Pregnancy and stroke Toward the end of her pregnancy, Richardson felt run down. Prior to becoming pregnant she learned she had ulcerative colitis, a bowel condition that causes lingering inflammation and sores in the digestive tract. During the pregnancy she had a flare up and just attributed her feeling unwell to that. When she delivered and returned home with Everett, Richardson knew something was different but wasnt sure what was going on. The pregnancy itself was pretty tough especially toward the end, she said. By the time she arrived in the hospital just a day after giving birth, she could only move her left foot. The rest of her body was paralyzed. I remember a doctor coming in and I asked her, Am I going to die? and she just said, I dont know, Richardson said. I remember feeling so afraid. When Sarah-Grace Richardson first arrived at the rehabilitation hospital the therapists planned on teaching her how to care for herself in a wheelchair. She quickly progressed at skills and was walking and learning how to care for her children and house like she would after returning home. (Courtesy Sarah-Grace Richardson) Once she was admitted, doctors knew Richardson had a postpartum stroke, a rare condition that most likely occurs within 10 days following a childbirth, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. A recent study reported that pregnancy-associated stroke occurs approximately 34 per 100,000 deliveries. Risk factors include if a woman is or experiences: Story continues Advanced maternal age (35 years and older) African-American race Preeclampsia, eclampsia or gestational hypertension Migraine headaches Diabetes Hyperemesis gravidarum Postpartum hemorrhage The body wants to prevent excessive bleeding at the time of delivery, but unfortunately this may translate to a risk of abnormal and sometimes dangerous clots in some individuals, Dr. Ryan Overman, a neurologist at Indiana University Health, told TODAY. Pregnant women have a risk of stroke thats about three times higher than non-pregnant women and so that number sounds a bit frightening. But again this is very uncommon. Related: Understanding the symptoms of stroke and getting a loved one help as soon as possible improves ones outcome, Overman said. The American Stroke Association uses FAST as a quick reminder of symptoms, which means: F: Facial drooping A: Arm or leg weakness S: Slurred speech or inability to talk T: Time to call for help. The faster you get help the better. Even more unusual than a postpartum stroke? Richardson had a cerebral venous sinus thrombosis stroke, which affects five in 1 million people a year, according to Overman. Theres a blood clot in the veins of the head or neck that will cause damage to the brain, whether its because of congestion that deprives the brain tissue of enough oxygen or whether it causes bleeding in the brain, Overman explained. Thats a less common way that a stroke will happen. Sarah-Grace Richardson is now home after a stroke and she appreciates being able to do simple little things with her sons, Bear, 2 and Everett, 5 months old. (Courtesy Sarah-Grace Richardson) Most strokes occur after a blockage in the artery. In Richardsons case, her stroke was a slower process. Doctors found several clots in her brain, causing damage in both her frontal lobes. But she also had a brain bleed, making it challenging to control. Richardson's outcome seemed bleak at first. While her family couldnt see her because of COVID-19 restrictions, they waited in the hospital parking lot for news. The doctor said, If something happens and shes not going to make it, well let you come in and say goodbye, she said. Miracles were happening' Doctors stabilized Richardson and she spent 10 days in the intensive care unit receiving treatment. She experienced intense double vision and still couldnt move any part of her body. That is a very strange experience, she said. It was humbling for me because Im the one who takes care of people. By May 5, she went to Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana, to learn how to care for herself after her stroke. Doctors werent sure if shed ever regain use of her limbs and the therapists were prepared to teach her how to live in a wheelchair. The doctors would stop in the room and they asked me to try to move different parts of my body and I was just lying there. I cant do it, Richardson said. Theyd check my eyes and kind of like shake their heads. I could see the look on all these doctors faces just like no hope. But Richardson, who has a strong faith, believed God helped her survive the initial stroke and that hed help her recover. Already when she started at the rehab hospital, she could speak better than expected. Soon, she saw great improvements. Things started to get better, she said. One day it was like my right hand woke up and all of a sudden I could move my fingers and it was so amazing. As a Christian, I believe all this was an act of God. After a debilitating postpartum stroke, Sarah-Grace Richardson feels happy she's able to care for her sons like she did prior to her illness. She hopes her story raises awareness of postpartum stroke. (Courtesy Kaitlynn Scheidler) Slowly, her speech returned to normal as she gained more use of her hands, feet, legs and arms. Miracles were happening. This girl, who was supposed to die, and then she was supposed to be in a nursing home, was beginning to be able to walk. It just absolutely amazing," she said, referring to her progress. When Richardson was released from the hospital, the first thing she did was feed her baby and see her 2-year-old son Bear. I got to hold my baby, which was awesome, she said. Just those little things were so sweet. While Richardson still struggles with some fine motor skills and right leg weakness she is able to walk and care for her children. She feels grateful for all the prayers for her from around the world. And, she hopes her story inspires others. It's overwhelming to have an experience where you almost die, she said. Every single day I'll be doing little things, like folding clothes or changing my kids diapers, and it's just like I'm here and I'm alive and I can do these things and it's just so incredible. Shampoos That Repel Flies These Exist and Vice President Mike Pence Should Take Note The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. Product photos from retailer sites. Theres no question, this presidential election has been a contentious one. When President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden squared off in the first debate, it was hard for viewers to focus with the countless interruptions. So when the VP nominees took stage, we were all at the edge of our seats thinking, will this be a repeat of that? As Vice President Mike Pence squared off with Senator Kamala Harris, we thankfully got to hear their stances on issues. Serious topicsfrom this administrations COVID-19 response (or lack of) and racial injusticesdiscussed and intensified the energy of the room and our TV sets. It was a welcomed moment of levity when viewers were distracted (and some delighted), when a fly landed on Pences head for a considerable enough amount of time to breed memes galore. We are about service (not politics) here at AskMen. The only issue we want to discuss: should Pence use a shampoo that repels flies moving forward? Detracting flies is a case-by-case situation. In the Vice Presidents case, I think it turned out to be the accessory he never knew he needed, explains Bradley Irion, celebrity hairstylist. But, if you are looking to steer clear of these pesky hitch hikers, try showering more than twice a week and when you do use a trustworthy brand like Pert, Suave, RID or Raidany of these formulas are sure to do the trick leaving your hair shiny, bouncy, and bug-free. These exist, veep. Give these a go WOW Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo & Hair Conditioner Set Its pretty simple. Apple cider vinegar repels flies and other insects. This combo from WOW Skin Science will wow you. This set also aims to gently detox, remove buildup, and restore shine, which Pence probably needs anyway. $29.95 at Amazon.com PURA D'OR Apple Cider Vinegar Thin2Thick Set Shampoo Conditioner for Regrowth, Hair Loss, Clarifying, Detox Not only will this duo keep flies away from your head, itll help it get thicker. Pence could benefit from a little volume. Just saying. $29.99 at Amazon.com dpHUE Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse This hair rinse removes impurities without stripping the natural oils that are essential to the health of your scalp and hair, according to its product description. Perhaps there are other impurities it can work through a person. Har har har. $35 at Amazon.com And when all else fails, just spray this Farnam Nature's Defense Concentrate Botanical Fly Repellent on your head. $25.97 at Amazon.com AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. To find out more, please read our complete terms of use. Charlie Kirk, Founder and Exec. Dir. of Turning Point USA, speaks on the first day of the Republican National Convention (Getty) Facebook has removed hundreds of fake accounts tied to right-wing group Turning Point USA, which enlisted a now-banned marketing group to flood comment sections of news stories to attack Joe Biden and Democrats while praising Donald Trump. The social media company announced on Thursday that marketing firm Rally Forge had worked with Turning Point USA to make 200 profiles and 55 pages on the platform and 76 on Instagram, beginning in 2018 and continuing through 2020. Facebook said the accounts violated the companys polices about coordinated inauthentic behaviour that relied on real people, not automation to create the perception of wide-spread support of their narratives by leaving comments on posts by media entities and public figures. Roughly 373,000 people followed one or more of those pages, and 22,000 people followed on or more of those Instagram accounts. Many accounts consisted of stock profile photos, posing as right-leaning users. The company found that in 2018, some of those accounts had posed as left-leaning users. This activity was centered primarily around commenting on news articles posted by news organizations and public figures, rather than posting their own content, the company said in a statement on its blog. Its election-focused behavior began in 2018 in the run-up to the midterms, it then went largely dormant until June 2020. Recent activity involved what the company calls thinly veiled personas that were slight variations of the names of the people behind them and whose sole activity on our platform was associated with this deceptive campaign. We assess this shift in tactics is likely due to the majority of this networks fake accounts getting caught by our automated detection systems, the company said. At least one account promoted false claims about mail-in ballots, as the president and his allies continue to air unfounded allegations of voter fraud, while voting rights advocates have condemned Republican efforts to suppress votes across the US. Story continues Facebook banned Rally Forge from its platforms, while Turning Point USA remains active, with nearly 2 million followers. The organisations founder Charlie Kirk was the first speaker at the 2020 Republican National Convention. In June, the president addressed a rally at a megachurch in Phoenix hosted by the group. Facebook latest move follows September reporting from The Washington Post that suggested a secret campaign to sow disinformation about 2020 elections was underway through troll farms from the conservative Turning Point USA. In response to its reporting, Twitter banned several accounts allegedly involved with similar efforts. On Wednesday, Facebook announced the company will temporarily block US political adverts on its platforms when polls close on Election Day. Facebook also said it would remove calls for people to engage in poll watching when those calls use militarised language or suggest that the goal is to intimidate, exert control, or display power over election officials or voters," taking aim at ads the presidents campaign asking for every able-bodied man and woman to join Army for Trumps election security operation." In the event that the president, who commands a massive audience on social media platforms, declares victory before the results are collected, the company said it would send notifications to Facebook and Instagram users on election night with the latest results. The company will add more specific information in the notifications that counting is still in progress and no winner has been determined," it said. When polls close, the company will attach labels to candidates posts directing people to Facebooks voting information centre. This week, the company issued a platform-wide ban on QAnon-related groups, pages and profiles, bringing its policy on the conspiracy movement closer to its policies governing militarised social movements" such as terror groups. Read more Facebook to suspend political ads when polls close on Election Day Facebook bans QAnon accounts across all platforms How a student in a diaper caused an eruption at Turning Point USA California Sens. Dianne Feinstein, left, and Kamala Harris. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images) Californias Democratic senators forged their political brands during high-profile Supreme Court confirmation hearings like the one to be held next week with Judge Amy Coney Barrett. But as they prepare to quiz President Trumps third nominee to the bench just three weeks before the presidential election, Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris face distinct challenges that may call for them to rein in their natural political instincts. Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, needs to prove to skeptical progressives that her preference for bipartisanship and comity won't prevent her from taking an aggressive stance against Republicans not only during a confirmation process most Democrats view as illegitimate, but as chair of the panel next year if Democrats take the Senate majority in 2021. In contrast, Harris, now the Democratic vice presidential nominee, may be tempted to tone down her prosecutorial style. Known for tough questioning of judicial nominees and other Senate witnesses, Harris will have to balance expectations for a gotcha viral moment with the demands of a presidential ticket that is leading in the polls and eager to avoid any missteps or undue risks. For Feinstein, the challenge is how much sand to throw into the gears of the Barrett confirmation process. She is facing pressure from those who say Democrats must do more than merely voice their objections to the GOP push to fill the vacancy as voting in the presidential election is already underway. If you issue a litany of statements that the process is illegitimate, but you go through business as usual for your actions, then the record reflects that you consider the process as legitimate, said Adam Jentleson, who was an aide to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). One option would be for Democrats to boycott the committee vote, expected on Oct. 22. If some Republican senators are absent because of COVID-19 quarantines currently three GOP senators have tested positive Democrats could challenge whether they have a quorum in committee or on the Senate floor. Story continues Other committee Democrats have refused to meet with Barrett in a sign of protest. But Feinstein and six other Democrats on the committee held meetings over the phone with her, some as recently as Wednesday. Feinstein, reelected to her sixth term in 2018, is under growing scrutiny from fellow Democrats for her work on the committee. There is lingering frustration with how she handled the Kavanaugh hearings, including agreeing to Christine Blasey Fords request for anonymity after the Palo Alto professor privately disclosed the allegation that Kavanaugh assaulted her when they were teenagers, a charge he denied. Ford eventually came forward to testify voluntarily. Feinstein is also widely blamed for mishandling the questioning of Barrett's religious views during Barrett's 2017 confirmation hearing as an appellate judge. Feinstein told the nominee, The dogma lives loudly within you, a phrase that galvanized conservative Catholics and opened the door to GOP complaints that Democrats opposed her because of her religion. Some Democrats have quietly gone to Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) in recent months about replacing Feinstein next year on the Judiciary committee with a senator who is younger and more aggressive, as first reported by Politico last month. Rank-and-file members have held private discussions about whether seniority is the best way to choose the leaders of committees. If Democrats win the majority in the Senate in 2021, Feinstein would be next in line to lead the powerful panel. She refused to say whether she would seek the post. Feinstein declined an interview request, but in response to written questions, she pushed back on the idea that she has been meek. Ive neither seen nor been told any steps we havent taken that we should be taking, she wrote. Everything that can be done, were doing. And Im going to keep fighting to hold Justice [Ruth Bader] Ginsburgs seat open until after the inauguration so the American people are given a voice in selecting our next justice. She declined to release details on the Democrats procedural strategy. She associated herself with the grass-roots opposition to Barretts confirmation, but said there are limits on what she and Democrats can do if Republicans have the votes. I share the passion were seeing. A lot is at stake for the American people with this nomination, she said. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, the Senate allows no real tools to stop this process as long as the majority side has the votes to push it through. It really shows why elections are so vitally important. Progressive Democrats insist Barretts fate is not sealed. They point to past examples when Republicans theoretically had the votes, but buckled under public pressure, such as the unsuccessful GOP effort to repeal Obamacare in 2017. During the Barrett hearing, Democrats plan to argue she would almost certainly vote to invalidate the Affordable Care Act and undo abortion rights. What were looking for in the Senate hearings is for the senators to conduct themselves in a way that really underlines the problems with the candidate for the Supreme Court, said Amar Shergill, chairman of the California Democratic Partys progressive caucus. As the most junior Democratic senator on the Judiciary Committee, Harris will probably be last on the list of questioners. But no doubt shell be among those most closely watched. During Justice Brett M. Kavanaughs confirmation fight, she had standout moments, such as an abortion-related question about whether he could cite any law that gives government the power to make decisions about the male body. She had similarly tough encounters in hearings with Atty. Gen. William Barr, his predecessor Jeff Sessions and John Kelly, then the White House chief of staff. At times, however, Harris' questioning has been criticized for going too far, leading to a backlash that she was badgering witnesses, cutting them off and implying wrongdoing through her questions without providing actual evidence. For instance, she asked Kavanaugh whether he ever discussed special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's investigation of Russian election meddling and obstruction of justice with any employees of a particular law firm, a line of specific questioning that suggested she had evidence that he had done so. Kavanaugh appeared caught off guard. Yet nothing more ever became public about it. Less than a month away from the election, the Biden camp no doubt wants to avoid any high-profile gaffes during the Barrett hearing. On the other hand, supporters cite Harris' strong questioning skills as one of the reasons she is the vice presidential nominee. Her entire career is about taking risks, said Steve Haro, a former chief of staff to Feinstein who is now a lobbyist. Shes going to show why Joe Biden chose her to be our vice presidential nominee. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Voters should follow instructions by the A at the top of the ballot. Lawsuit settlement As for mistakes on ballots, the State Board of Elections announced changes Tuesday to the absentee voting process to make it easier for a voter to fix problems with an absentee ballot. The state board said the changes were included in a joint motion asking Wake County Superior Court to approve a settlement with plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed by the N.C. Alliance for Retired Americans. The lawsuit challenged various absentee voting processes in the state. In the joint motion filed Tuesday, the parties agreed that the witness requirement for absentee voters will remain in place. A witness must fill out required fields on the ballot's return envelope, including the witness' name, address and signature, the state board said. The state board said that incomplete witness information is the main problem with absentee ballot envelopes. Previous state board guidance required those voters to cast a new ballot. The state board will allow a voter whose witness does not fill out required fields on the envelope to correct that mistake through an affidavit. 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. The Grand Egyptian Museum in cooperation with a specialised company, conducted an experiment to start the process of transferringone of the three parts of King Ramses IIs obelisk. The obelisk, which is located in the museum's open yard, is being prepared for its reassembling and lifting up in what will be its permanent display location at the outer courtyard of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). Major General Atef Moftah, General Supervisor of the GEM project and its surrounding area, denies the rumours that claim that the obelisk had collapsed adding that these rumours are unfounded. Simply, the obelisk was not yet reassembled or lifted up in place for it to fall down, Moftah said. He explains that what has been done was only an experiment to move one of the three parts of the obelisk, but due to some cracks and fissures small parts of it were separated, in order for the process to be carried out according to scientific studies on how to correctly preserve the monument. Moftah stated that there are no opportunities for errors when restoring and transferring this part of the obelisk or when restoring any other. As only specialists in this field perform this task, in collaboration with specialized companies that transport gigantic artifacts with the help of special equipment. All the work is carried out under the full supervision of the GEM staff, he added. He continued architectural and archaeological studies on the three parts of the obelisk have been conducted. These studies indicate that the obelisk was moved from the San Al-Haggar archaeological site divided into three parts. Accurate scientific and archaeological studies were conducted to uncover the state of its preservation, and to understand all the conditions surrounding it before starting its restoration, assembly and lift up. The Faculty of Engineering at Cairo University carried out an integrated engineering study on the body of the obelisk as well as doing research on the method of erecting it. All while choosing the optimal method for fixing and consolidating it, along with locating the anchors that connect the parts. The obelisk will be assembled and erected soon, after ensuring the completion of all the necessary geological, archaeological and architectural research and studies. Search Keywords: Short link: Nicola Sturgeon made the announcement at Holyrood - Fraser Bremner/PA All pubs, bars and restaurants serving more than half of Scotland's population are to shut for at least 16 days from this weekend, under complicated rules unveiled by Nicola Sturgeon to prevent Covid-19 surging back to its spring peak. The First Minister announced that all licensed premises in the Central Belt, with the exception of hotels for residents and takeaways, will be required to close indoors and outdoors from 6pm on Friday. They will remain shut for three weekends, until Sunday Oct 25, but Ms Sturgeon warned this end date will be kept "under review." The tough measures will apply in five health board areas - Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire & Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley - covering around 3.3 million people or 60 per cent of Scotland's population. Cafes that do not have an alcohol license can stay open until 6pm but snooker and pool halls, indoor bowling alleys, casinos and bingo halls will also shut. Ms Sturgeon also that contact sports, with the exception of professional sport events, outdoor live events and group exercise activities will be banned. Gyms will remain open for individual exercise. Although mandatory travel restrictions were not imposed, she urged people living in the five regions to avoid "public transport unless it is absolutely necessary" and "not to travel outside the health board area they live in." In the remainder of the country, licensed premises will be allowed to open for indoors service between 6am and 6pm but will be barred from selling alcoholic drinks. They will be permitted to continue serving alcohol outdoors until the existing curfew time of 10pm, subject to the limit on gatherings of six people and two households. Ms Sturgeon also requested that shops across Scotland return to two-metre physical distancing and one-way systems. The wearing of face coverings is to be extended to include workplace canteens and corridors. The First Minister announced 40 million of support for affected businesses but the hospitality sector said she had "effectively signed a death sentence for many businesses" despite the "real problem" being socialising at home. Story continues Stephen Montgomery, spokesman for the Scottish Hospitality Group, said: "This latest blow from the Scottish Government will create fear and anger across our industry. This is not a short, sharp shock, rather a crippling stranglehold that will result in many Scottish pubs and restaurants unable to reopen in lockdown areas if this becomes indefinite. "We have repeatedly asked for scientific data from the Scottish Government to validate these escalating restrictions and yet we have been singled out, charged and found guilty without any supporting evidence." Andrew McRae, the Federation of Small Businesses' Scotland policy chair, said: " Without sufficient support from government, todays moves could mean last orders for many independent pubs and restaurants. Theyll also cause a significant knock-on impact on our tourism sector, on our hospitality supply chain, and on those that operate in our night-time economy like taxi drivers and takeaways." Scotland recorded 1,054 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, according to figures published shortly before Ms Sturgeon's parliamentary statement. The record high figure was published by the Scottish Government from Health Protection Scotland data. One further death of a patient within 28 days of first testing positive for the virus was registered in the past 24 hours, taking this total to 2,533. The new cases represent 13.0 per cent of newly-tested individuals, down from 13.2 per cent on Tuesday. Of the new cases, 410 are in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 195 in Lanarkshire and 190 in Lothian. The measures announced on Wednesday were put in place to ensure there will not be a full lockdown in the future, Ms Sturgeon said. She told MSPs: "These new restrictions will last for 16 days. They are intended to be short, sharp action to arrest a worrying increase in infection. "However, although they are temporary, they are needed. "Without them, there is a risk the virus will be out of control by the end of this month. "But with them, we hope to slow its spread. That will help to keep schools and businesses open over the winter. And it will save lives." Nation sets low target to cut greenhouse gas emission The government has decided to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 536 million tons by 2030. The target, to be submitted to the United Nations late this year, remains unchanged from the reduction goal set by the Park Geun-hye administration in 2016, and only 7 million tons less than that presented by the Lee Myung-bak administration in 2009. The latest goal pales beside the Moon Jae-in government's "Green New Deal" plan marked by a low-carbon, environment-friendly economy. Under the Paris Agreement in 2015, each nation has to submit a revised plan for "nationally determined contributions" every five years. In 2016, Seoul said it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 37 percent from an estimated 2030 business-as-usual (BAU) level. According to the environment ministry, the government has recently recalculated its 2030 goal to 24.4 percent less than the 709 million tons the nation emitted in 2017. The two calculation methods are different but lead to the same number 536 million tons. It seems as if the Moon Jae-in administration racked its brains to avoid international criticism by presenting the same content in different packaging. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, countries should reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent by 2030 from 2010 on a BAU basis, to avoid a global disaster resulting from the climate crisis. The Moon administration's target of 536 million tons represents a reduction of only 18.5 percent in this regard. In contrast, the EU unveiled a plan last month to raise its comparable reduction target to 55 percent. The Moon administration's Green New Deal aims to create a low-carbon industrial ecosystem, but its target for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions remains the same as five years ago. Moreover, the Korea Electric Power Corp. has recently finalized a plan to invest in coal-fired power plants in Vietnam. Investment in such power plants abroad is regarded as the main culprit behind greenhouse gas emissions by developing countries. It comes as little surprise that Korea has been labeled a "climate villain." For the Green New Deal to succeed, nothing is more urgent than a far bolder and detailed plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. On October 7 the Geneva City Council passed a resolution on condemning Azerbaijans ongoing military aggression against the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), recognizing the Artsakh peoples right to self-determination and demanding from the federal government to freeze the assets of the Aliyev family in Switzerland. The resolution was passed with 49 votes in favor, 18 abstentions and 2 votes against. It has been co-authored by Anna Barseghyan, Arnaud Moreillon, Pascal Holenweg and others. The resolution, which has been submitted for the debate of 80 members of the City Council, is titled Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh have a right to live and self-determination. It provides a historical overview of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, on the massacres in Sumgait, Baku and Kirovabad, as well as on the recent July attacks of Azerbaijan on Armenias borders. The resolution also makes a reference to the ongoing Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh launched since September 27, condemning the crimes against the civilian population, calling on the City Council to do the utmost to keep all the provisions of the international humanitarian law, the Geneva Convention. The City Council of the Geneva City recognizes the right of the people of Nagorno Karabakh to self-determination as the only opportunity to guarantee their security, the resolution says. The adoption of the resolution is symbolic as it is taking place ahead of the visit of Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov to Geneva today where he is scheduled to meet with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. reported a stronger-than-expected 22% rise in quarterly sales, buoyed by orders from its largest customers including Apple Inc. The worlds largest contract chipmaker saw revenue for the three months to September climb to a record NT$356.4 billion ($12.4 billion), up from NT$293 billion a year earlier, according to Bloomberg calculations based on monthly sales data disclosed by TSMC. Fellow Taiwanese chipmakers United Microelectronics Corp. and MediaTek Inc. on Thursday also reported strong sales, suggesting a broad recovery in the industry. TSMC in July raised its 2020 outlook, saying that revenue this year will grow by more than 20% in dollar terms. Sales for the first nine months of the year suggests that Apples main iPhone chipmaker is on track to meet its growth forecast as the Covid-19 pandemic fueled demand for home computing equipment. The companys business typically revs up in the months before Apple unveils new iPhones and the holiday season. It also likely received a boost during the quarter as its second-largest customer Huawei Technologies Co. raced to stockpile supplies before a U.S. ban on shipments to the Chinese telecom giant came into effect last month. Rival chipmaker Samsung Electronics Co. reported on Thursday earnings that beat analyst estimates after its mobile and chip businesses benefited from the curbs on Huawei. The demand strength will sustain and see an upside risk to TSMCs 4Q20 revenue guidance to be announced next week, Bernstein analysts led by Mark Li wrote in a note. The ramp of iPhone is delayed but just makes 4Q20 sequentially stronger. Apple silicon is ramping and will fuel the momentum in 4Q20 too. More recently, Huaweis competitors are aggressive in placing orders, all vying to gain the share left by Huawei. Monthly figures released Thursday showed UMCs third-quarter revenue was NT$44.9 billion, roughly in line with the average estimate of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. MediaTek, which also counts Huawei as one of its largest customers, reported monthly revenue jumped 61%, helping to lift third-quarter sales to NT$97.3 billion. That exceeded the NT$86.3 billion forecast by analysts. TSMC gained 2.3% on Thursday in Taipei and closed just shy of its all-time high reached on Sept. 16. The shares have surged nearly 83% from their March lows amid signs that the company is bouncing back from the worst of the coronavirus-induced disruptions. MediaTek shares gained 3.6% while those of UMC, which have nearly doubled this year, surged more than 9% before the release of the sales numbers. About two-thirds of TSMCs 5-nanometer capacity has been taken up by Apples newest A14 processors in the run-up to the release of the new iPhones, Taipei-based Economic Daily News reported this week, citing unidentified industry sources. The handsets are expected to be unveiled next week. The Taiwanese chipmaker is scheduled to hold its third-quarter earnings conference on Oct. 15. Photo credit: Waymo From Car and Driver Waymo is opening up registration for its driverless ride-hailing system in Phoenix, Arizona. Riders can now bring along friends and family and talk in public about the rides. Rides with human safety drivers behind the wheel will happen later this year after the Chrysler Pacifica minivans used by Waymo are outfitted with interior shields. Today Waymo announced that it is opening up its driverless ride-hailing service, Waymo One, to more people in the Phoenix area in a staggered plan that will play out over the next couple of months. Those already enjoying riding in a vehicle without a human behind the wheel can now talk about it, while others interested can start signing up for the service. Waymo One riders in Phoenix who are already using the service can now bring along their friends and family during a driverless trip. They're also allowed, finally, to talk about the experience. Previously, they were required to sign a non-disclosure agreement before riding around in Waymo's autonomous vehicles. Waymo also noted that it is opening up registration for the service to more people living in Phoenix, but those new members will likely have to wait a while before they can hop in the back of a driverless Chrysler Pacifica. The company said that current Waymo One users who have not yet had a chance to ride in the driverless vehicles will get first dibs. Waymo CEO John Krafcik said it would take a couple of weeks to work through the backlog of Waymo One riders already in Phoenix. So far only about 5 to 10 percent of completed rides have been in driverless vehicles. With COVID-19 keeping drivers out of vans until later this year when the company installs barriers between riders and the front seats, all rides, for now, will be driverless. According to Krafcik, all 300 vehicles in the Phoenix fleet are capable of driverless rides. "We'll use the number of cars we need to accommodate the demand that we expect," Krafcik said. Story continues As for keeping the cars clean during a pandemic, Krafcik said that it has increased the frequency of its cleaning regimen and added, "We've added something we call 'cabin-air flush' between every ride. We worked with FCA on this feature, which allows us to cycle through something like four to five times the interior cabin air volume of the Pacifica. That extracts by itself over 99 percent of whatever it was that prior riders might have brought into the vehicle." For those in the Phoenix area interested in riding in Waymos driverless vans, you can learn more and sign up here. You Might Also Like Please register or log in to keep reading. No credit card required! Stay logged in to skip the surveys. The Dodge County Board of Supervisors approved an ownership request for Region 6 Behavioral Healthcare for its new building in Omaha during its meeting Wednesday morning, Oct. 7. Region 6 would have 30% ownership of the building as the Eastern Nebraska Human Services Agency would own 70%. The building at 4715 S. 132nd St. in Omaha also houses the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging and Duet, which are both part of the ENHSA encompassing Dodge, Washington, Douglas, Sarpy and Cass counties. The three organizations also share a governing board, of which Supervisor David Saalfeld is a member. All three organizations at some point in recent history felt like they needed new office space, said Patti Jurjevich, regional administrator of Region 6. So we decided to come together and say, Maybe we could all co-locate within one building. Jurjevich said the three organizations contributed financial resources to purchase and renovate the building. She said due to the interlocal agreement, it was easier for Duet to purchase the building. So my desire is because we have contributed to the building purchase and all of the renovations of the building that we have some ownership stake in that building, Jurjevich said. And so Im visiting each county board to bring a resolution to hopefully get approval so that we can formalize our relationship with those other organizations in the building. The board unanimously approved Jurjevichs request. When asked by Saalfeld as to why the number was 30%, she said that was the percentage of the building that Region 6 occupied. Jurjevich also presented the board with Region 6s data from 2019 and provided the members with some background. Region 6 is the regional behavioral health authority for Dodge, Washington, Douglas, Sarpy and Cass counties. The six Nebraska regions were created in the mid-1970s by the Nebraska Legislature. So really, the senators felt that was the best approach to delivering mental health services in the community, Jurjevich said. The statutes also set the requirement for county match participation, so for some of the state money that we get access to, we are required to collect county matching funds. The governing board is comprised of one representative from each county, with Chairman Bob Missel having previously served for a number of years. Although Region 6 does not conduct treatment services, it plans, develops, funds and monitors the services. It receives annual funding from the state, Jurjevich said. We add in those county matching funds that we collect from the five counties, and we use those dollars then to plan what services we will invest those monies in during the fiscal year so that folks who are low-income, have no insurance, no other coverage whatsoever can access treatment and rehab services where they might not otherwise have had access to those services, she said. In 2019, Jurjevich said Region 6 served 573 Dodge County residents, with 927 service encounters between them. Although their statistics were similar to Dodge Countys census data, she said nearly 90% of admissions did not have insurance. Jurjevich said Region 6s top service was medication management, as well as substance use disorder assessments. It was also involved in the Nebraska Strong Recovery Project, which provided outreach workers for crisis counseling during the 2019 flooding. With Nebraska Strongs funding ending in June, Jurjevich said it is now being used for the COVID-19 pandemic. She said although the outreach workers are not in the community yet, they are conducting research to prepare. Hopefully at some point, well be able to get those folks out in the community and connect with groups and individuals again, were just not sure how soon that will happen, she said. Jurjevich also said Region 6 had been active with other groups in Dodge County, including providing telehealth equipment for the Fremont Police Department. We try really hard to connect with a lot of collaborative groups, community groups that you have going on up here, she said. I know youve got some really strong ones, so were able to work closely with them too and appreciate that opportunity. The board also approved tax levies for various political subdivisions for 2020. In a letter written to the board from County Clerk Fred Mytty, he said Hooper Rural Protections District had been lowered to the countys limit of 4.8 cents. Additionally, the Sanitary and Improvement District District 6s general levy was reduced to the state law of 40 cents, while Pathways 2 Tomorrows valuation decreased by 26.62%. Supervisor Lon Strand said he was happy to see the countys proposed final levy was set at about 22.91 cents per $100 of valuation. I know thats old news, but its still good news, he said. Missel and Strand compared this years levy to last years, which was 24.29 cents. Its about a 10% drop, Missel said. Its nice to be able to do that, especially with all the financial burdens we faced as a county. Mytty also noted that Burt Countys valuations had decreased three years in a row, while the village of Winslow saw a 10% increase to about $2.25. All this increase has bled out into our other small towns, and our valuations are going up, Strand said. Its a great place to be, as far as valuations go. The board also approved a change order to the Motorola radio tower project to add a network management terminal, as well as provisioning manager and unified event manager licenses. The change order, which is $20,536.25, wasnt in the original plan, Missel said. I visited with Rey [Freeman] and Tom [Christensen] about it, and Shelly [Holzerland] as well, and all of them felt that this was a needed piece that came to light as we worked through the project, he said. Rey pointed out that its a small amount and some of the other things were cut out of the project, so in no way does it add to the projects cost, it balances out. The board also approved a certificate of completion for a road project from April 2016 that fell through the cracks and a zoning change to Dodge County. This actually was approved at the last board meeting to allow Platte Valley Equipment to change the zoning from transitional ag to commercial, Zoning Administrator Jean Andrews said. And so therefore, this is just a follow-up paperwork to make it official on the map. In other news, the board approved renewal quotes with Great Plains Communications, a request from Rises Drive-In Liquor to serve alcohol for a Platte Valley Equipment reception in December and the countys countywide cost allocation plan. The board approved $758,579.44 in financial claims, in which Missel said he had transferred $555,000 in its bond to countys checking account to cover flood-related damage repairs. Additionally, Supervisor Greg Beam noted that the county had 58 inmates in custody and had been slowly picking back up after COVID-19, as 127 inmates were booked during September. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. The Foreign Ministry of Armenia ahs issued a statement regarding the Azerbaijani regular bombing of Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi town of Artsakh. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia, the statement runs as follows, On October 8, the armed forces of Azerbaijan launched airstrikes at the masterpiece of the Armenian architecture - the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral located in the cultural capital of Artsakh, Shushi, causing significant damages. This is another crime of the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan, which reveals its inhuman essence. Nevertheless, this action fully fits into its policy of Armenophobia developed for decades. Azerbaijan, which has completely annihilated the Armenian cultural heritage in Nakhichevan and in other parts of the historical homeland of the Armenian people, now throughout the ongoing military aggression against Artsakh is trying to deprive Armenians of Artsakh of their homeland and historical memory. With these actions Azerbaijan replicates behaviour of its newly acquired allies - the infamous international terrorist organizations, who are responsible for destruction of the numerous historical-cultural monuments in the Middle East. We condemn in the strongest way this heinous crime of Azerbaijan is also a challenge to the whole civilized humanity. In this regard, we remind the Azerbaijani military-political authorities that targeting religious worship sites and cultural monuments is war crime as enshrined in international humanitarian law, the responsibility for which has no statute of limitations. A number of reporters were injured during the bombing, one of them, a Russian journalist, is in critical situation. Doctors of Artsakh are sparing no efforts to save his life. Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan In The Salt variety is on tap with Dungeness crab season coming up in just 30 days. Weve got some up-and-down tuna action up north, a continued solid rockfish bite, some big king salmon still hanging around, halibut in the bays and the first solid action on sturgeon in the Delta. Take your pick. Bodega Bay Captain Rick Powers out of Bodega Bay Sport Fishing told the Hot Sheet that his Sunday run scored 18 limits of quality rockfish, five ling cod to 15 pounds, and four salmon up to 29 pounds. He went on to say that if you want to get out for a chance at a big salmon, now is the time. The ocean salmon season closes on Nov. 8. Heres a double play opportunity for you: Fish for both crab and salmon on Saturday, Nov. 7 one of the rare times those seasons overlap. Tell the neighbors to get ready for a backyard feast. The Golden Gate Fleet echoed the big salmon reports. Look at these weights reported to the Hot Sheet from last weekend 22 and 23 pounds. That hot rockfish/ling action was also present. When you see the ling cod count of 20 fish to 16 pounds from the California Dawn plus a couple of Emeryville Sport Fishing boats that hauled in 38 limits of lings to a whopping 31 pounds, you know its time to hunt for ling cod. This sweet meat fish can be your backyard BBQ base. Garrett Moore Is 9 and on his first fishing trip he landed two halibut at 20 and 12 pounds. Thats the early report from the bays, but look for a striper bite to fill out the Bay Action. Delta Doings are most exciting to me when they are headed by signs of an early, solid sturgeon bite. Just look at the Sunday report by Captain Joey Gamez of Golden State Sport Fishing (209-855-1487) of his five clients results; they had limits up to 54 inches by 11 a.m. four by 8:30 a.m. Listen to Joeys recap: They were chewing this morning, and despite four-foot rollers in the morning out in open water, the sturgeon were grabbing the bait and running off. Normally during rough weather, it is very hard to see the bites, but these bites left no doubt. The sturgeon were feeding big time on the outgoing tide, and everything came on eel. We also released five more sturgeon before finishing out by 11 a.m. My own experience with sturgeon bites over the years is that they really are hard to detect. So when they are chomping on the bait and running, I believe that says there are lots of them down there. So the aggressive ones feel the need to bull their way to the bait and take it before another fish grabs it. Dave Sharp of Marina Bait and Tackle in Suisun City (389-2335) caught and released a huge striper that went 48 inches with a 29-inch girth on fresh shad near the Rio Vista Bridge. He went on the tell the Hot Sheet that on a night trip in Broad Slough that they caught and released 31 keeper stripers to 9 pounds. This is exciting fishing. Just look at that broad tail on a big lineside to see where it gets its power. That will explain Daves comment, these stripers were running with the shad, leaving the reels screaming with the clickers on. Delta Black Bass tournament delivered some big largemouth bass. The Yamamoto Big Bass Challenge out of Russos Marina last weekend saw big bass of 12.96 pounds caught by Delta veteran Dan Fonte throwing a Flapping Hog lure. And a 10.83-pound largemouth on a Senko by Mark Casey. They were competing for the Andy Cooch Cuccia Memorial Big Bass Award. I have the fondest personal memories of Cooch. Years ago, he ran the Delta pro/youth bass tournament. I planned to bring my friend, Stefano Particelli, who was 15 at the time, and asked Cooch to pair him up with a top pro. We struck gold when we were assigned to fish with the famous Dee Thomas, who was inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame in 2007. I asked Dee if I could tag along with them to record that day for my fishing column, and he said yes. To make a long story short, Stefano, the youngest of the five finalists, came in second and scored the big bass trophy. Ill never forget when he pulled it out of the water. Dee said Thats the winning fish. The wind was blowing a gale, so Dee said it was too dangerous to be on the big Delta rivers that we needed to find some quiet sloughs that would deliver big bass, and we did. Local Action has been sketchy with the wildfires all around. Highway 29 from Calistoga to Lake County was still closed as late as Wednesday. So, I might have to drive over to 101, then north to Highway 20, and back down east to Clear Lake for my bass trip there next week with pro guide Bob Myskey (349-4460). Stay tuned. Email Bill Ryan at acorn_3@comcast.net Taxpayers know the truth of it: The politicians want your money, but they dont want to enact structural reforms that could cost them votes with their special interest groups. As a series of Tribune editorials have pointed out, there have been no attempts at real change in the high cost of workers compensation that drives small businesses out. And no meaningful attempt at addressing skyrocketing property taxes. NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / October 8, 2020 / Bernstein Liebhard, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, reminds investors of the deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in a securities class action that has been filed on behalf of investors that purchased or acquired the securities of Eastman Kodak Company ("Kodak" or the "Company") (NYSE:KODK) between July 27, 2020 and August 11, 2020 (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey alleges violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. If you purchased Kodak securities and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options, please visit Kodak Shareholder Lawsuit or contact Matthew E. Guarnero toll-free at (877) 779-1414 or MGuarnero@bernlieb.com. The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose that the Company had granted Defendant Continenza and several other Company insiders millions of dollars' worth of stock options, immediately prior to the Company publicly disclosing that it had received a $765 million loan from the DFC to produce drugs to treat COVID-19, which Defendants knew would cause Kodak's stock to immediately increase in value once the deal was announced. In addition, while in possession of this material non-public information, Defendant Continenza and other Company insiders purchased tens of thousands of the Company's shares immediately prior to the announcement, again at prices that they knew would increase exponentially once news of the loan became public. On August 1, 2020, a Reuters article reported new details of the "unusual" 1.75 million option grant to Continenza. The article stated that according to "a person familiar with the arrangement," the option award "occurred because of an understanding" between Continenza and Kodak's Board of Directors "that had previously neither been listed in his employment contract nor made public." Further, "[t]he decision to grant Continenza options was never formalized or made into a binding agreement, which is why it was not disclosed previously." Concurrently market observers questioned why Kodak, historically a technology company, had been selected for a DPA loan related to pharmaceutical supplies over companies with more experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Story continues In reaction to this news, Kodak's stock price plummeted $6.91 per share to close at $14.94 per share on August 3, 2020 - a decline of over 34% per share. On August 5, 2020, several Congressional committees sent a joint letter to Defendant Continenza seeking documents about the loan, insider trading, and stock options for their review of "DFC's decision to award this loan to Kodak despite your company's lack of pharmaceutical experience and the windfall gained by you and other company executives as a result of this loan" which raised "questions that must be thoroughly examined." The committees also sent a document request to the DFC's Chief Executive Officer on the same day, inquiring about the Kodak loan, which the letter noted was "an organization that was on the brink of failure in 2012 and was unsuccessful in its previous foray into pharmaceutical manufacturing." On August 7, 2020, after the market closed, the DFC announced, "on July 28, we signed a Letter of Interest with Eastman Kodak. Recent allegations of wrongdoing raise serious concerns. We will not proceed any further unless these allegations are cleared." On this news, the Company's stock price declined $4.15, or 28%, from $14.88 per share on August 7, 2020, to $10.73 per share on August 10, 2020. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than October 13, 2020. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member. If you purchased Kodak securities and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options, please visit https://www.bernlieb.com/cases/eastmankodakcompany-kodk-shareholder-class-action-lawsuit-stock-fraud-290/apply/ or contact Matthew E. Guarnero toll-free at (877) 779-1414 or MGuarnero@bernlieb.com. Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List" thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for ten consecutive years. ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. 2020 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. The lawyer responsible for this advertisement in the State of Connecticut is Michael S. Bigin. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. Contact Information: Matthew E. Guarnero Bernstein Liebhard LLP https://www.bernlieb.com (877) 779-1414 MGuarnero@bernlieb.com SOURCE: Bernstein Liebhard LLP View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/606765/KODK-INVESTOR-ALERT-Bernstein-Liebhard-LLP-Reminds-Investors-of-the-Deadline-to-File-a-Lead-Plaintiff-Motion-in-a-Securities-Class-Action-Lawsuit-Against-Eastman-Kodak-Company Thursday, October 8, 2020 at 3:41PM Embed from Getty Images The Galaxy Note 8 is approaching its end-of-life phase as Samsung downgrades its update cycle. Instead of monthly updates, the handset will receive quarterly ones. The Note 8 has been around for three years, so this news isn't surprising. The phone joins the Galaxy S8 series in this demotion into quarterly security updates. Note 8 owners can expect to receive patches and updates quarterly until October 2021, at least. After that date, it'll be up to Samsung to send over any fixes for significant security flaws or known exploits. So, if you're still hanging on to your Note 8, remember that this end-of-life phase has begun. Source: 9to5Google According to information published by the United States Africa Command on October 7, 2020, the US Navy Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel Woody Williams (ESB-4) conducted passing and communications exercises with Senegalese naval counterpart patrol vessel Kedougou in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Senegal in September. According to information published by the United States Africa Command on October 7, 2020, the US Navy Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel Woody Williams (ESB-4) conducted passing and communications exercises with Senegalese naval counterpart patrol vessel Kedougou in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Senegal in September. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link US Navy Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel Woody Williams conducts a passing exercise with Senegalese OPV Offshore Patrol Vessel Kedougou in the Atlantic Ocean, September 21, 2020. (Picture source United States Africa Command) USS Hershel Woody Williams Expeditionary Sea Base and Kedougou Offshore Patrol Vessel used the Senegalese Maritime Operations Center to communicate and pass information to conduct the exercise. Communications Marines from II Marine Expeditionary Force provided additional assets for maritime communications between the two vessels. U.S. Navy vessels routinely conduct training with allies and partners in order to enhance interoperability and increase capability in order to strengthen regional maritime security. Hershel Woody Williams is on a regularly-scheduled deployment to the U.S. Naval Forces Africa area of operations and is a key element in integration between U.S. Navy and Marine Corps operations, especially Marine aviation and support to amphibious operations. Other operations and training the ship can conduct include support to Special Operations, command and control, and staging of equipment and other assets, as directed. The ship will be a long-term presence assigned to the U.S. Africa Command mission set and will support security cooperation missions and operations in and around the African continent. U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts joint and naval operations in order to support regional allies and partners and U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa. The USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB-4) is a Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary sea base, currently in service with the United States Navy. The ship was commissioned by the Navy in Norfolk, Virginia on 7 March 2020. An expeditionary sea base is designed to be a semi-submersible, flexible, modular platform providing the US Navy with the capability to perform large-scale logistics movements such as the transfer of vehicles and equipment from sea to shore. The ESB is configured with a 52,000 square-foot flight deck, fuel and equipment storage, repair spaces, magazines, mission planning spaces and accommodations for up to 250 personnel. The ship is capable of supporting multiple missions including Air Mine Counter Measures (AMCM), counter-piracy operations, maritime security operations, humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions and U.S. Marine Corps crisis response. It can also support MH-53 and MH-60 helicopters and will be upgraded to support MV-22 tiltrotor aircraft. The Kedougou is an OPV Offshore Patrol Vessel of the Senegalese Navy manufactured by the French company STX. She was launched in October 10, 2014. OPV 45 vessels are 45.6 m long and 8.4 m wide. It can be armed with a weapon system up to 40 mm. Two 6.2 m RHIB are also on board. Its hull is made of steel and the superstructure is in aluminum. There are 25 sailors aboard. The vessel has a steel hull and aluminum superstructure. It is powered by two Cummins diesel engines (1 940 kW) providing a top speed of 22 knots. Endurance is ten days with a range of 2 000 nautical miles. It is able to launch two RHIBs via a stern ramp. Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee attends a press conference in Geneva, July 16, following her hearing before 164 member states' representatives, as part of the application process to be elected head of the World Trade Organization. AFP-Yonhap By Nam Hyun-woo Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee has made it into the final round for the election of a new chief of the World Trade Organization (WTO). According to the WTO, Thursday, Yoo and Nigeria's Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala have advanced to third round of the process to select the new leader for the Geneva-based trade body. In the final round, member countries will reach a consensus on the winner and the WTO will approve the final candidate during a general council meeting. The process is widely expected to be completed by early November. As both final-round candidates are women, the WTO will have its first female director general in its 25-year history. Yoo is the third Korean to run for the top post at the WTO, following her predecessors' failed bids in 1994 and 2012. During her campaign, she has been pledging to refurbish the trade body so that it can recover its lost functions of promoting trade pacts and settling disputes, making it more "relevant, resilient and responsive." Yoo launched her campaign amid a trade dispute between Korea and Japan, which came after Tokyo abruptly imposed export restrictions on key industrial items against Seoul, citing security issues. In response to Japan's move, Seoul filed a complaint with the WTO in September last year, and the WTO launched a panel to look into the dispute. So far, the efficacy of this process has faced questions due to the possibility of the case reaching the Appellate Body, which has been shut down. The shutdown has caused concern for not only Korea but also other WTO members as many cases will likely end up seeing no meaningful outcomes. Yoo's pledge to restore the WTO's negotiating function appears to be in line with resolving this matter. Photo credit: Chip Somodevilla - Getty Images From ELLE Shortly after giving birth to her first daughter, Abigail, in 2015, Sen. Tammy Duckworth found herself in an airport bathroom stall pumping breast milk from a toilet seat. There were no other private options in the terminal. Duckworth knew she wasn't alone in wanting a sanitary space to breastfeed or pump while traveling. At the time, she discovered that while 62 percent of airports in the U.S. called themselves breastfeeding-friendly, only 8 percent had private, clean nursing areas with a chair, a table, and an electrical outlet. "As a Congresswoman with a young baby, I was going back and forth between D.C. and Illinois," Duckworth tells ELLE.com. "I was often stuck expressing breastmilk in toilet stalls." Photo credit: Tom Williams - Getty Images Three years later, her Friendly Airports for Mothers (FAM) Act was signed into law. It required medium and large airports in the U.S. to have private spaces in every terminal for mothers to express breastmilk. Duckworth is now expanding that act to include more airports so that "no traveling mothers will be left behind," she says. The FAM Improvement Act ensures even small airports support nursing moms by providing convenient lactation rooms for travelers. Because of our hub and spoke system, travelers often either start their trip at a small airport or pass through one as they connect to a larger airport," Duckworth says. "When this legislation goes into effect, it will help our economy recover by making travel more family friendly. We must build upon that success by passing the FAM Improvement Act so that *all* airports large, medium and small can play a role in improving the health of families by supporting breastfeeding travelers. https://t.co/mG6WMTmKdx Tammy Duckworth (@SenDuckworth) October 17, 2019 The FAM Improvement Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is now headed to the president's desk for his signature. It has been endorsed by over 85 organizations, including the U.S. Breastfeeding Coalition, American Academy of Pediatrics, and Association of Women's Health. Story continues "It should be implemented in the coming years, Duckworth says. The senator has long been a champion of new mothers. In 2019, she introduced a separate breastfeeding bill ensuring all federal buildings open to the public provide lactation spaces for visitors. Earlier this year she introduced the Newborn CARES Act to help new parents receive the additional $500 per child in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act stimulus payments without having to wait until 2021. You Might Also Like 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. The exterior of the headquarters for the Talk Talk telecommunications company are pictured on October 23, 2015 in London, England. Photo: Carl Court/Getty Images Telecoms group TalkTalk (TALK.L) has received a 1.1bn ($1.4bn) takeover approach from a London hedge fund, which hopes to take the business private. TalkTalk said in a statement on Thursday it had received a preliminary offer from Toscafund Asset Management to buy the business for 97p per share. The offer values TalkTalk at around 1.1bn and represents a 16% premium on Wednesdays closing price. Shares in TalkTalk jumped 13% to 94p at the open in London on Thursday. TalkTalk shares jumped on the takeover approach. Photo: Yahoo Finance UK A spokesperson for TalkTalk confirmed the board had recently received the approach and had decided to progress talks after considering the offer and input from advisors. Barclays and Deutsche Bank are advising TalkTalk. The telecoms company warned investors that a firm bid was not certain. Toscafunds approach is contingent on a number of preconditions, including the support of TalkTalks executive chairman Sir Charles Dunstone. TalkTalk said it would make a further statement when appropriate. READ MORE: Market pressure eases as US fiscal policy and a Democratic win appear in focus TalkTalk is one of the UKs biggest telecoms providers, with 4.2 million customers. It offers phone, TV and broadband services. The business had revenue of 1.5bn last year and made a profit of 131m. Prior to the takeover offer, shares in the business had fallen around 30% since the start of the year. Toscafund is a long-time investor in TalkTalk and already owns 30% of the business. It is TalkTalks second biggest investor. Sky News reported in July that Toscafund made an undisclosed 135p a share takeover bid last year but the offer was rejected by TalkTalks board. Toscafund is one of the UKs best-known hedge funds and manages over $4bn of client money. The business was founded in 2000 by former banking analyst Martin Hughes, who has been nicknamed the Rottweiler in the financial press for his aggressive pursuit of companies he targets. A spokesperson for Toscafund declined to comment on the TalkTalk bid. WATCH: Profits jump at Tesco 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. Ever since the coronavirus pandemic hit the world, many people are raising their face mask game to the next level. Instead of settling for the generic surgical face mask, they opt to wear stylish face covers to suit their personality and fashion sense. Some go for statement masks while others choose to splurge on branded and designer brands that will match their OOTD (outfit of the day). Despite the health crisis, some people still find humor and use the "new normal" necessity to bring laughter to other people. Just like Macaulay Culkin, who recently surprised his fans by wearing one of the most clever face masks, this pandemic has invented. In an Instagram post on Tuesday, the 40-year-old actor shared a photo of himself wearing a face cover that paid tribute to his iconic 90s film, "Home Alone." It could be recalled that back in 1990, Macaulay Culkin played the iconic role of Kevin McCallister, who was left all alone at home while his family went on a grand holiday. Kevin's quirky tricks to escape the burglars trying to take advantage of him alone made a huge impact on viewers and skyrocketed Culkin's career as a child star. After almost three decades, fans still see Culkin as the clever young boy who outwitted the "bad guys" several times and survived to be home alone at a very young age. That is why when the former child star pulled off an iconic face mask as protection against COVID-19, many could not help but felt nostalgic about their all-time favorite movie. In the photo shared with his 1.1 million followers, Culkin sported a cloth face mask with a printed picture of Kevin McCallister's mouth wide open as both hands are against each cheek. It was Culkin's famous pose for the Home Alone's movie poster. Culkin also widely opened his eyes to match McCallister's iconic pose. "Just staying Covid-safe by wearing the flayed skin of my younger self," Caulking wrote alongside the said photo. The actor even used an Empire State Building lego formation on the background to have an extra nostalgic effect. "Don't forget to wear your masks, kids," he added. Aside from the 280,000 likes on the photo, fans expressed how much they like Culkin's face mask and could not help but remember the good all times. "Oh, this is fantastic! You definitely win the Face Mask Award. Everyone can go home now," one fan wrote on Twitter. "Those were the days, buddy, when your family left you home alone, lol!" another one added. Meanwhile, others begged Culkin to reveal where he got the printed face mask as they also want one for themselves. One fan mom commented: "Omg!!!! My son is the biggest home alone fan, and he's only 7!!! I legit need this mask for him!!!!!" "I must get my son one of these! He always reminds me of the younger version of you," another one added. "Stop it right now, where can I get this mask? (PS I named my dog Kevin MacAllister," comedian Krystyna Hutchinson commented on Instagram. READ MORE: Chris Evans Surprises Fans With Another Controversial Instagram Photo Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 8) Amid the speakership row, a lawmaker urged her colleagues to resume session in the House and look beyond the tussle, which can potentially derail the 2021 budget. In an interview with CNN Philippines The Source, AAMBIS-OWA Party-list Rep. Sharon Garin on Thursday raised her concern about the small committee that was recently formed to tackle the amendments to the 2021 General Appropriations Bill. The spending measure was approved on second reading on Tuesday, shortly before the House suspended session until November 16 Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano declared the session break ahead of the Oct. 17 schedule. It's a move seen to thwart plenary voting to elect Speaker-in-waiting Lord Allan Velasco on October 14, the day that he is supposed to replace Cayetano under their 15-21 term-sharing deal brokered by President Rodrigo Duterte. For me, we should go back to Congress, sana tapusin naman natin. Kung kaunting tao lang, kung sampung tao lang ang magdi-discuss ng budget diyan, thats not transparent nor responsive, or a fair budget, said Garin, a known ally of Velasco. [Translation: For me, we should go back to Congress and finish the debates. If there are only a few people, if we only have ten people who will discuss the budget, thats not transparent nor responsive, or a fair budget.] Prior to suspending session, Cayetano himself moved for the creation of a small committee that will consolidate budget amendments for third reading approval. The committee is dominated by his allies, composed of Aklan Rep. Teodorico Haresco, Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Vilafuerte, Deputy Speaker Henry Oaminal, Appropriations chair Eric Yap, vice chair Jonathan Sy-Alvarado, Banks and Intermediaries chair Junie Cua, Ways and Means chair Joey Salceda. In a similar interview with The Source, Deputy Speaker Dan Fernandez reiterated that no violations were committed in the House rules and in the Constitution during Tuesday's session. He also stressed that the budget was not railroaded as debates have gone on for almost three weeks already. I attended a lot of hearings on the different budgets of the different departments and other questions were already redundant na tinatanong pa nila sa plenary, he said. Ako, I will consider that as filibustering sometimes. Natanong mo na sa budget briefing, tapos pupunta ka ulit sa plenary, eh waste of time (You already asked a question in the budget briefing, and then you will go again to the plenary, its a waste of time.) Reenacted budget possible Senators on Thursday warned of a reenacted budget for the country next year, refuting Cayetanos claim that the month-long suspension in the House would only delay the proceedings by one day. Do not be misled. The HOR has delayed the budget for a whole month. No one can blame the Senate for this delay. Never! Senate President Vicente Tito Sotto III said in a tweet. He said he would deliver next week a privilege speech to address conflicts on the budget. Senator Panfilo Lacson expressed a similar sentiment, noting that Cayetano should not be passing the blame to them. He recommended that Cayetano instead resume session before November 1 to approve the budget on third reading so that Senate can hold plenary debates once the bill is transmitted to them. The senators also slammed the Speaker's earlier remark that it would not be the House's fault if the budget would be delayed. Im sorry but between October 12 to 14 when the Senate is originally scheduled to receive the transmittal of the GAB from the House and November 17 when the Speaker said that they will be able to transmit the same to us, is definitely not one-day difference, Lacson said. Meanwhile, Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco shared the same sentiment of other lawmakers to resume the plenary sessions. He said political differences must be set aside for the sake of the national budget. "This is the time to set aside political differences against the backdrop of the ongoing pandemic," Velasco said in a statement. "The budget issue is far bigger than the fight for speakership." "Blackmailing the Executive Department to cede to ones personal ambition or holding the budget hostage in order to achieve ones political whim is a great disservice to the Filipino people," he also said. In a Facebook Live post, Cayetano apologized to the Senate, and clarified that he is not passing the burden to the Senate for probable delay. He added that he was also not blaming the executive branch for the late transmittal of the budget due to the pandemic. "Yung context is kung magkakaroon ng reenactment, it won't be on the part of the House, because we made sure that one day lang ang pinag-uusapan (The context is if there will be a reenactment, it won't be on the part of the House because we agreed that there will only be a one-day delay)." Cayetano also claimed that the two chambers maintain a "very good" working relationship despite the budget issues. The small committee in the House will convene on Monday to tackle amendments, he added. In the original House calendar, suspension of session is slated for October 17 until November 15. In a newly adjusted calendar sent by Lacson to the media, the physical copy of the GAB, already approved on third reading in the House, must be printed and then submitted to the Senate on November 20 for their own plenary debates, which will likely be held for another month. Malacanang earlier expressed optimism that that there wont be any delays in the passage of the budget despite the heated House leadership row. Actis, an emerging markets investment firm based in London, UK, is eyeing finance worth $4 billion to $4.5 billion for launching its new international fund Actis 5, which aims to invest in renewable energy and infrastructure projects in the Middle East and North Africa, said a report. The new Actis fund will concentrate its work on combined cycle power projects; wind power generation projects with build, own, operate (BOO) systems; and solar energy projects, reported Hapi Journal , citing a senior official. Actis is also targeting investment in water desalination and treatment projects with its $1.2 billion infrastructure fund, stated Partner and Head of Mena Sherif El Kholy. The fund will be limited so that sovereign funds, major international pension funds, and major financial institutions will be the only organizations able to participate in the fund, said the official. Actis, he stated, was open for the Sovereign Fund of Egypt (SFE) to join their new fund, noting that both parties have previously signed a MoU for cooperation in multiple sectors. The fund is likely to be up and running by the year-end, stated El Kholy, adding that they are currently completing the funds subscription. Subscription will only be available for sovereign funds, international pension funds, and large financial institutions, he added. Donald Trump; Joe Biden Donald Trump and Joe Biden Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images Out of concern for the health of voters planning to attend the next presidential debate on Oct. 15 as well as his own and that of his campaign staff, Democratic candidate Joe Biden on Tuesday evening said the event should not go forward as planned as long as President Donald Trump still has Covid-19. "I think if he still has Covid, we shouldn't have a debate," Biden told reporters the day after Trump returned home to the White House after spending three nights at Walter Reed Medical Center. The president announced he had tested positive for the coronavirus in the early morning hours of last Friday, two days after facing Biden in the first debate in Cleveland, Ohio. At the first debate, the president openly mocked the former vice president for following public health guidance by wearing a face mask at public events, and members of his family and campaign team in the audience did not use face coverings. "I'm not sure what President Trump is all about now, I don't know what his status is," Biden said Tuesday. "I'm looking forward to being able to debate him. But I just hope all the protocols are followed, what's necessary at the time." Related Articles Mitch better have my money: Protesters march to McConnells home as he weighs 80% unemployment cut White House "concocted a positive feedback loop" to trick Trump into thinking hes doing a good job The vice presidential debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) is set to go forward in Utah Wednesday evening. Both candidates tested negative for Covid-19 on Wednesday. The safety protocols for the event appeared to consist mainly of two small plexiglass shields positioned between Harris and Pence, who will be seated 12 feet away from each other. And heres a preview of what those plexiglass barriers look like inside the debate hall. VP Pence will be seated stage left, with Sen. Harris seated stage right pic.twitter.com/YxrH1nrpAW Amanda Golden (@amandawgolden) October 7, 2020 Professor Linsey Marr, an expert in aerosol transmission of viruses, called the safety measures "absurd." Story continues "These are even smaller and less adequate than I imagined," Marr told the New York Times. After Trump's diagnosis last week, Biden campaign officials indicated it was "hard to see" the second debate going forward and that the Commission on Presidential Debates must enforce protocols including mask-wearing. Biden's deputy campaign manager, Kate Bedingfield, pointed out Wednesday that members of the public could be put at risk in the town hall format planned for the second debate, if Trump is still contagious. "There will be citizens there in attendance asking questions," Bedingfield told "Good Morning America" on ABC. "So, the obligation is on Donald Trump to prove that he is not contagious. The obligation is on him to meet the standards laid out by the Cleveland Clinic, laid out by the presidential commission on debates." Presidential historian Michael Beschloss tweeted that Biden and Trump should simply take part in a virtual debate as former Presidents John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon did in 1960. Related Articles Schools aren't safe, and parents won't believe President Bleach-Injector when he claims otherwise Trump on alleged abuser Ghislaine Maxwell: Ive met her numerous times, and I "wish her well Amid this pandemic, it is too dangerous for Joe Biden and Donald Trump to debate in the same studio. Do the next debate virtually, just as JFK (New York) and Richard Nixon (los Angeles) did with their third debate in 1960: pic.twitter.com/5Is9nwgSab Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) October 7, 2020 White House staffers on Wednesday stocked an "isolation cart" with medical gowns, goggles, and respirators and positioned the supplies outside the Oval Office as the president returned after a short-lived quarantine period in his residence following his hospital stay. Despite the possibility of still being contagious, advisers are reportedlyconsidering a return to Trump's campaigning schedule next week, including travel other than his planned trip to Miami for the debate. "I think we're gonna have to follow very strict guidelines," Biden told reporters Tuesday. "Too many people have been infected. And it's a very serious problem." 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Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws 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 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. 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. 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. New Delhi: The fate of 839 candidates in fray for 73 constituencies of western UP was sealed in ballots as the voting ended at 5PM on Saturday. The Overall voting percentage till 4PM was 54%. Final figures are awaited. Polling began for the first phase of politically crucial Uttar Pradesh at 7 am on Saturday morning. In this phase, BJP, SP and BSP are fighting to stake claim at the 73 constituencies of the western UP. Nearly 2.6 crore people in the poll-bound region are eligible to vote in the first of the seven phases of high-stake Assembly elections, seen as a litmus test for Prime Minister Narendra Modis nearly three-year rule. 839 candidates, including from main contenders BJP, BSP, allies Congress and Samajwadi party, RLD as well independents, are in the fray from the seats in 15 districts where 26,823 polling stations have been set up. Among the electorate are 1.17 crore women and 1,508 belonging to third gender category. The largest constituency in terms of electorate is Sahibabad, while Jalesar is the smallest. The maximum number of 26 candidates are in fray from Agra South, while the least number of aspirants are in Hastinapur which has six candidates. ALSO READ | UP Elections 2017 | PM Modi will get a jolt once poll results are out, says Rahul Gandhi at 10 common point release in Lucknow The excise department has set up check posts at inter-state borders as well as along the border with Nepal to check distribution of liquor to voters during elections. LIVE COVERAGE #6:40PM: EC press conference begins - 19.56 cr cash, 4.44 lakh litre liquor worth 14 cr, drug worth 96.93 lakh, gold & silver of 14 crores were seized in first phase: ECI - 2,96,906 troublemakers were identified & preventive actions were taken against them in first phase of UP elections: ECI - 3888 digital & video cameras were used, webcasting was done in 2857 places for first phase of UP elections: Election Commission - 13 cases of paid news identified in Phase 1 elections, 10 found correct and acted upon - Total 63% voting recorded in Phase 1 - 1,24,526 poll booth volunteers managed the Phase 1 elections #5:00PM: Voting ends for Phase 1 of UP assembly elections 2017 #4:05PM: Overall poll percentage till 3PM is 52.9% #4:00PM: Poll percentage till 3PM: Agra 51; Aligarh 52; Mathura 55; Meerut 56; Muzaffarnagar 53 and Shamli 55. Details of other areas awaited. #2:00 PM: Brisk voting in western UP as 45 per cent cast ballot till 2PM #12: 00 PM: 25.71 per cent voting in Ghaziabad, 26 per cent in Baghpat and 29 per cent voting were recorded in Shamli #11:25 AM: 29% voting in Shamli till 11 am #11:20 AM: Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan cast his vote in Muzaffarnagar #10:18 AM: Police detain Gagan Som, brother of BJP candidate Sangeet Som for carrying a pistol inside poll booth in Meerut #Polling begins for phase-I of UP Assembly elections with voters queueing up to cast their ballots in 73 constituencies #10: 00 AM: 10.56% voting in first phase of Uttar Pradesh elections till 9 am #9:40 AM: 15% voting in Muzaffarnagar till 9 am #9:30 AM: 10.5% voting in Aligarh and 12% in Bulandshahr till 9 am Baghpat: 98 year old Sultani cast her vote in Chhaprauli #uppolls2017 pic.twitter.com/hBgrMQOy5s ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 11, 2017 #9:20 AM: BJP MLA and Sardhana candidate Sangeet Som after casting his vote in Meerut #9:00 AM: BJP MLA and Sardhana candidate Sangeet Som casts his vote in Meerut #8:38 AM: Ghaziabad's Sahibabad is the largest constituency in terms of electorate Baghpat: Voters in Baraut given roses by EC officials #uppolls2017 pic.twitter.com/xJquZT2WVn ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 11, 2017 #8:12 AM:Etah's Jalesar is the smallest constituency in terms of electorate #8:00 AM:BJP Mathura candidate Shrikant Sharma casts his vote #7:42 AM People after casting their votes in Baghpat #uppolls2017 pic.twitter.com/XKh65K2qxs ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 11, 2017 #7:30 AM: Polling delayed in booth no.42 in Mathura's Govardhan, and in booth nos 119 and 120 in Baghpat as EVMs are not working #7:20 AM: People arrive for voting in Dadri's Bishada #7:15 AM: Polling underway in Noida Sector 15A #7:04 AM: Polling underway in Bishada of Dadri, people cast their votes #7: 02 AM: People queue up outside a polling station in Govardhan of Mathura. Voting to begin shortly ALSO READ | PM Modi rally in Badaun: For political gains, UP government played with aspirations of youth in state #7AM: Voting begins in 73 constituencies for Phase 1 of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections Important details about Uttar Pradesh Elections # Total Assembly Constituencies: 73 # Date of Polling: February 11 (Phase 1 out of 7 phases) # Total Electorate: 2.6 crore (including 1.17 crore women; 1,508 third gender) # Number of Polling Stations: 26,823 # Major Parties & Alliance - SP (Samajwadi Party) + Indian National Congress - Bhartiya Janta Party - Bahujan Samaj Party - RLD (Rashtriya Lok Dal) # 2012 Assembly Election Results: - SP: 24 Seats - BSP: 24 Seats - BJP: 11 Seats - Congress: 5 Seats - RLD: 9 Seats - Others: 0 Seat # 2014 Lok Sabha Election Result - BJP: 68 Seats - SP: 5 Seats - Others: 0 Seat Security arrangements to ensure peaceful polling Elaborate security arrangements have been made in all districts. District Election Officer DK Singh said out of 887 polling centres in riot-scarred Muzaffarnagar, around 600 are critical where video cameras will be installed to maintain the strict vigil. Around 6,000 paramilitary personnel are being deployed in all the 887 polling centres in Muzaffarnagar and neighbouring Shamli to instill a sense of fearlessness among voters, especially with focus on the areas which had witnessed communal riots in 2013. Four-cornered fight for 73 seats Western UP is witnessing a four-cornered contest between Samajwadi Party, in alliance with Congress, Modi-led BJP, Mayawatis BSP and Ajit Singh-led RLD. BJP, which increased its voter base considerably in Lok Sabh elections in 2014 by winning 68 parliamentary seats from the region, is hopeful to make a clean sweep in the region. But polls results from previous assembly elections, which gave 24 seats to both BSP and winner SP, keeps giving confidence to the two frontrunners. Ajit Singhs RLD, which managed 9 seats in last assembly elections, is likely to struggle to retain the seats in the high-stake elections. Spearheading the BJP campaign, Modi had highlighted demonetisation as an anti-graft and pro-poor measure and promised to push his development agenda in the state. ALSO READ | UP Elections 2017 | Meerut: Sangeet Som's brother Gagan Som detained by police for carrying pistol inside poll booth Young guns Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi, who have added a new dimension to the contest with the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance, have claimed that BJP will face the wrath of the common man who suffered due to the note ban. The first phase of voting in the Muslim-dominated region could throw light on the presence of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) led by Asaduddin Owaisi. The Muslim-dominated areas in the belt will be an acid test for BSP chief Mayawati, who is banking heavily on Dalit and Muslim votes. The region was once BSPs favourite hunting ground. (With inputs from PTI) ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS 2017: FULL COVERAGE UTTAR PRADESH ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS 2017: FULL COVERAGE For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. DECATUR Joseph Luckee Vincent Williams failed to convince a judge there was insufficient evidence to try him on charges he tried to shoot to death two of his Decatur neighbors. Williams, 22, appeared in Macon County Circuit Court Wednesday, pleading not guilty to two counts of attempted first degree murder in the Aug. 30 violence that erupted near the 700 block of East Clay Street. Williams, who represented himself in court, also told Judge Phoebe Bowers that he was also pleading not guilty to two additional counts of aggravated battery involving the discharge of a gun and two counts of being a felon who possessed and fired a weapon. He also denied a further charge of the aggravated unlawful use of a gun while having a previous weapons conviction. Bowers found probable cause to try him on all charges and scheduled a pretrial hearing for Nov. 5 before fellow Judge Jeffrey Geisler. Earlier, giving evidence against Williams, Decatur Police Detective Ben Massey said officers arriving on scene the day of the shooting found a woman slumped inside the front door of a house and located a man lying out back. Both had been shot multiple times. And did the (woman) state it was a neighbor of hers who shot them? asked Macon County States Attorney Jay Scott. Yes, said Massey, who said Williams was later identified both by the female victim and the male victim. The detective explained that the male did not know the shooters name but was able to pick him out of a photo line-up. No mention of a motive for the attack was given in court testimony. Williams then asked Massey if the police had obtained surveillance camera footage of the shooting suspect and Massey said they had. He then asked if witnesses had described the shooter wearing a COVID face mask and Massey said they had, and then confirmed police had also used distinctive tattoos to identify the suspect. Williams then raised the subject of a gun recovered from his home: Was it the attempted murder weapon used in this crime? he asked. The detective replied that the weapon was still being analyzed by the State Police Crime Laboratory. Williams also mentioned his alibi evidence, which claimed he was with his girlfriend when the shootings took place. Did the police department check to see if that statement was true? he asked. Massey said police had checked with the girlfriend and she confirmed he had been with her the night the shooting took place. She did say that, but she didnt give a specific timeframe, the detective replied. Williams is being held in the Macon County Jail with bail set at $500,000, meaning he must post $50,000 to be released. Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 8) The country's top diplomat said he will push to slash the budget for the Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States by more than half to 12 million to reflect its abrogation, which has merely been suspended. During the senate hearing on the 2021 proposed budget of the department, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. was asked how much budget was allocated for VFA. Locsin said that under the proposal for the next fiscal year, some 28 million will be allocated for the agreement. The VFA is a 1998 agreement between Manila and Washington on the protocol for American military personnel in the country. President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to scrap the accord in January 2020 after Senator Ronald Bato dela Rosas US tourist visa was revoked. An official notice to terminate VFA was signed the following month. However, its termination was suspended in June in light of the political and other developments in the region. The PCVF [Presidential Commission on Visiting Forces Agreement] budget must reflect the fact that we have abrogated the VFA. We have merely suspended it, so I think Ill cut it down to 12 million, Locsin said, adding that this is already adequate. Meanwhile, he welcomed the United Nations Human Rights Councils adoption of a resolution that requests High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet to provide technical assistance and capacity building to the Philippines to promote and protect human rights. The resolution was passed on Wednesday, two months after a UN report concluded the Philippine governments policies, particularly its war on drugs, have resulted in systemic violations including killings and arbitrary detentions. Were going to have to do our part. Were going to have to cooperate in getting the capacity to address the drug problem, Locsin said. Rights groups expressed disappointment with the UNHRC's resolution, which they said fell short of expectations of human rights victims in the country. Russian senators back humanization of tax offences provisions RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 10:26 08/10/2020 MOSCOW, October 8 (RAPSI) The Federation Council of Russia has approved humanization of treatment of tax offences, according to information published on the website of the parliaments upper house. The draft law envisages that defendants charged with tax offences are not to be held criminally liable in cases where they have repaid the amounts in question in the course of court proceedings. It was passed by the State Duma in late September. The bill was developed by Russias Supreme Court with the aim to humanize criminal policies with respect to tax and insurance payments defaulters. The document answers the tasks of further humanization of criminal policies and envisages that there is to be created an environment ensuring the fullest possible observance of the rights of suspects and defendants in tax cases, the explanatory note to the bill reads. Earlier, the law prescribed termination of criminal proceedings in tax cases only if the damages were compensated before the start of court hearings. Getty/Getty Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said he and President Donald Trump "shouldn't have a debate" if the president still tests positive for the coronavirus by its scheduled date, October 15. Biden said he's "looking forward to being able to debate" Trump, but "we're going to have to follow very strict guidelines," he added. "I think if he still has COVID, then we shouldn't have a debate," Biden told reporters Tuesday. Trump tested positive for the coronavirus last Thursday night, and he stayed at Walter Reed Medical Center for three days to undergo testing and treatment for the virus before returning to the White House on Monday. Biden was tested multiple times for COVID-19 since Trump's diagnosis twice last Friday, once on Sunday, and once on Tuesday and tested negative all four times. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said he and President Donald Trump "shouldn't have a debate" if the president still has COVID-19, the Associated Press reported Tuesday. The next debate between Biden and Trump is scheduled for October 15. Biden said he's "looking forward to being able to debate" Trump, but said he hopes "all the protocols are followed." "Too many people have been infected," Biden told reporters Tuesday. "It's a very serious problem, so I will be guided by the guidelines of the Cleveland Clinic and what the docs say is the right thing to do." "I think if he still has COVID, then we shouldn't have a debate," he added. In a statement to Reuters, Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said: "President Trump will be healthy and will be there. There's no getting out of this one for Biden, and his protectors in the media can't cover for him." It was revealed early Friday morning that Trump and First lady Melania Trump both tested positive for the coronavirus. Trump stayed at Walter Reed Medical Center for three days to undergo testing and treatment for the virus before returning to the White House on Monday. Story continues A slew of other GOP officials soon followed with a positive diagnosis, including Trump senior advisor Stephen Miller, Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien, and White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany. Other people who have been in the same proximity with the president over the last few weeks also tested positive. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie who helped Trump prepare for the last presidential debate with Biden tested positive over the weekend. Ex-White House adviser Kellyanne Conway and Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, who both attended the White House event for Judge Amy Coney Barrett, both tested positive for COVID-19. Biden was tested multiple times for COVID-19 since Trump's diagnosis twice last Friday, once on Sunday, and once on Tuesday and tested negative all four times. Vice President Mike Pence and Biden's running mate Sen. Kamala Harris are set to appear on the debate stage on Wednesday. Plexiglass barriers were installed between the podiums as a health safety measure, though scientists told Business Insider that it probably won't stop coronavirus aerosols. Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence have both tested negative for the coronavirus thus far ahead of the planned debate. Read the original article on Business Insider (Aphria/YouTube) Shares of Canadian cannabis producer Aphria (APHA.TO)(APHA) climbed more than 10 per cent on Thursday, extending the weeks gains as analysts heap praise on the company ahead of its quarterly earnings release next week. Toronto-listed shares hit $7.56 in early trading, their highest level since a spike in late July. The momentum behind the Leamington, Ont.-based company comes as analysts from CIBC and Cantor Fitzgerald point to market share gains in Canada over the past year and promising international exports. Aphria shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. Aphria shares have climbed more than 60 per cent in the past six months, vastly outperforming the Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences Index ETF (HMMJ.TO) and the worlds most valuable pot company Canopy Growth (WEED.TO)(CGC), which have gained about nine per cent and one per cent respectively in that timeframe. In a consolidating Canadian industry, we continue to think Aphria is the belle of the ball, Pablo Zuanic of Cantor Fitzgerald wrote in a note to clients earlier this week, highlighting the companys leading position in Canadas recreational market. We expect Aphria shares to rally when the company reports its August quarterly results. CIBC analyst John Zamparo echoed that sentiment on Thursday, calling Aphria the clear market share leader nationally, and in key provinces such as Ontario, where retail sales growth should outpace the rest of the country due to under penetration of [cannabis] stores in a note to clients. Aphria announced on Wednesday the completion of its first shipment of EU-GMP certified cannabis to its German subsidiary CC Pharma. In August, it announced a strategic supply agreement with Israeli medical cannabis producer Canndoc. The company said it is strategically positioned in the two largest cannabis markets outside of Canada, with the United States being fragmented into state-level markets. Zuanic expects Aphria to begin reporting international cannabis revenue as soon as the first half of fiscal 2021. Story continues Aphria is scheduled to report its first quarter fiscal 2021 financial results on Oct. 15. Zamparo is calling for revenue of $155 million, up two per cent from the previous quarter. He expects net cannabis revenue of $60 million, up 14 per cent quarter-over-quarter. The stock jumped past his $7.50 price target on Thursday. Zuanic has a more bullish $15.50 price target. Jeff Lagerquist is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on Twitter @jefflagerquist. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 20:53:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Israel and Jordan signed on Thursday a deal that allows flying over each other's airspace, Israel's transport ministry said. Under the new agreement, Israeli and Jordanian flights could use each other's airspace during weekdays between 11 p.m. (2000 GMT) and 6 a.m. local time, and a longer window of 12 hours will be opened on weekends, according to a statement issued by the ministry. The deal is expected to significantly decrease the flight times between Israel and the states of the Gulf, the ministry noted. Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev said in the statement that the agreement will help Israel "become more integrated into the region." "We are opening up new ways of cooperation in the fields of transportation and economy," she added. Israel and Jordan signed peace accords in 1994. Direct flights between the two neighboring countries have been carried out for years but they did not use each other's airspaces for flights to different destinations. The announcement came in the wake of the historic normalization deal of Israel with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which was announced on Aug. 13. In September, Saudi Arabia declared that it had opened its airspace to "all countries" flying to and from the UAE, a move hailed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a "tremendous breakthrough" that paves the way for direct flights between Israel and the UAE. Enditem Harrisburg, NC -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/08/2020 -- The Global Healthcare Payer BPO Market Research Report 2020 is a valuable source of insightful data for business strategists. It provides the industry overview with growth analysis and historical & futuristic cost, revenue, demand, and supply data (as applicable). The report describes various segments as well as analysis of the trends and factors that are playing a substantial role in the market. It provides an in-depth study of the Healthcare Payer BPO market by using SWOT analysis. This gives a complete analysis of drivers, restraints, and opportunities of the market. This Market study provides comprehensive data that enhances the understanding, scope, and application of this report. Inquire here to avail discount on this report: https://www.marketinsightsreports.com/reports/10082333761/global-and-united-states-healthcare-payer-bpo-market-size-status-and-forecast-2020-2026/inquiry?mode=69 Top Key Players in the Global Healthcare Payer BPO Market: Cognizant, Xerox, Accenture, Hinduja Global Solutions, Exlservice, HPE, HCL Technologies, Genpact Latest Development in the Market: Everest Group Identifies HGS as a Major Contender and Star Performer in its Healthcare Payer Operations Services PEAK Matrix HGS recognized for strong growth in healthcare payer BPO business Chicago Aug 27, 2020: Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS) (listed in BSE & NSE), today announced that it has been recognized as a Major Contender and Star Performer in Everest Group's Healthcare Payer Operations - Services PEAK Matrix for the second consecutive year. "Overarching trends, such as consumerism, the rise of digital, margin pressures, regulatory uncertainty and value-based care, are increasingly pushing healthcare payers to rethink their business models," said Manu Aggarwal, Vice President, Everest Group. "In order to achieve their business objectives, differentiate from the competition and transform digitally, enlisting the help of a service provider is becoming increasingly important." The Healthcare Payer Operations Services PEAK Matrix Assessment 2020 analyzes the changing dynamics of the healthcare payer operations landscape and assesses 29 service providers on the PEAK Matrix into Leaders, Contenders and Aspirants. The PEAK Matrix is a framework that provides an objective, data-driven and comparative assessment of healthcare payer operations service providers based on their absolute market success and delivery capability. Market segment by Type, the product can be split into Claims Processing Services Member Services HR Services Finance And Accounts In 2014, the claims processing services segment accounted for the maximum share of nearly 55%. Key factors associated with increase insurance penetration in developed countries and growing. Affordable Care Act is driver-render a very high impact on the overall health payer BPO market. These actions provide access to health and Medicare for millions of Americans, and as data per CMS and ObamaCare published in 2013, nearly eight million people are registered through the market and nearly 11.7 million people were registered in 2015. The increase in these numbers is a direct indicator of the growing burden of healthcare payer services, and as a result, is expected to positively reinforce the payer healthcare BPO market over the forecast period. Market segment by Application, split into Large hospitals Middle hospitals Pharmacy Insurance companies Regional Analysis for Market: For a comprehensive understanding of market dynamics, the global Healthcare Payer BPO market is analyzed across key geographies namely: United States, China, Europe, Japan, South-east Asia, India, and others. Each of these regions is analyzed on the basis of market findings across major countries in these regions for a macro-level understanding of the market. North American healthcare payer industry's leading global BPO market with more than 50% of the total revenue generated in 2015. Factors such as the high number of public and private treatment costs, the presence of a strong payment agenda, notes the high number of claims and favorable government policy play a key role in sharing this. US and Canada issued a large capital in the medical reimbursement ensuring strict agreement and implementation of health policies. The Asia Pacific is expected to become the most attractive region, mainly because of high economic growth, increased public and private treatment costs, more and more insurance services in rural and urban areas, and government policies. Browse Complete Report details with Table of Content: https://www.marketinsightsreports.com/reports/10082333761/global-and-united-states-healthcare-payer-bpo-market-size-status-and-forecast-2020-2026?mode=69 Table of Contents: Executive Summary: It includes key trends of the Healthcare Payer BPO market related to products, applications, and other crucial factors. It also provides an analysis of the competitive landscape and CAGR and market size of the Healthcare Payer BPO market based on production and revenue. Production and Consumption by Region: It covers all regional markets to which the research study relates. Prices and key players in addition to production and consumption in each regional market are discussed. Key Players: Here, the report throws light on financial ratios, pricing structure, production cost, gross profit, sales volume, revenue, and gross margin of leading and prominent companies competing in the Healthcare Payer BPO market. Market Segments: This part of the report discusses product type and application segments of the Healthcare Payer BPO market based on market share, CAGR, market size, and various other factors. Research Methodology: This section discusses the research methodology and approach used to prepare the report. It covers data triangulation, market breakdown, market size estimation, and research design and/or programs. Buy Full Reports: https://www.marketinsightsreports.com/report/purchase/10082333761?mode=su?mode=69 Customization of this Report: This report can be customized as per your needs for additional data up to 3 companies or countries or 40 analyst hours. Please contact our sales professional (sales@marketinsightsreports.com), we will ensure you obtain the report which works for your needs. Note: All the reports that we list have been tracking the impact of COVID-19 on the market. Both upstream and downstream of the entire supply chain has been accounted for while doing this. Also, where possible, we will provide an additional COVID-19 update supplement/report to the report in Q3, please check for with the sales team. ABOUT US: Market Insights Reports provides syndicated market research on industry verticals including Healthcare, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Technology and Media, Chemicals, Materials, Energy, Heavy Industry, etc. Market Insights Reports provides global and regional market intelligence coverage, a 360-degree market view which includes statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations. Contact Us: Irfan Tamboli (Head of Sales) - Market Insights Reports Phone: + 1704 266 3234 | +91-750-707-8687 Email: sales@marketinsightsreports.com | irfan@marketinsightsreports.com 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. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. The plenary session of the Board of Governors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) was held online on October 7 during which the participants adopted decisions on the Banks 2021-2025 Strategic and capital framework, as well as approved its report. During the session Armenias Deputy Prime Minister, Governor at EBRD Tigran Avinyan has been elected vice chair of the Board of Governors for 2020-2021, the deputy PMs Office told Armenpress. For the first time Armenias representative is elected as vice chair of the Board of Governors since the countrys membership to the Bank. In 2021 Yerevan will host the EBRD annual meeting. Armenian deputy minister of economy, alternate at the EBRD Avag Avanesyan delivered remarks at the EBRD annual meeting this year over the cooperation directions with the Bank. He also introduced the details of the attack unleashed by Azerbaijan with the support of Turkey and the involvement of terrorists against Artsakh, presented the targeting of civilian settlements by Azerbaijan. The deputy minister stated that the Azerbaijani actions have already caused a deep damage to the economic stability of the region and can lead to humanitarian crisis. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan Donald Trump Jr. speaks during the first day of the Republican convention at the Mellon auditorium on August 24, 2020 in Washington, DC. OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images Donald Trump Jr. claimed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has "substance issues" as he fired back at her for her latest criticism of his father, President Donald Trump. During an appearance on Fox News, Trump Jr. was asked to weigh in on Pelosi's criticism of the president's decision to abruptly and unilaterally end negotiations for the next stimulus bill. More specifically, the president's son was asked about his reaction to Pelosi raising concerns about whether or not Trump is mentally capable of making such critical decisions since he is said to be on antiviral medications and steroids due to complications of coronavirus. According to Trump Jr., Pelosi has "her own substance issues," although he offered no specific details about the allegation. He continued by echoing more baseless claims repeatedly perpetuated by his father. "Nancy has her own substance issues, according to the press and according to the media," Trump Jr. said. "I won't get into that. It's obviously nonsense. The reality is this: Nancy Pelosi was trying to stack literally, probably a trillion dollars of excess nonsense to bailout Democrat cities, to push for cashless bail, to get illegal immigrants stimulus checks as part of that package while the American taxpayer gets to foot the bill for her radical agenda." Related Articles Rudy Giuliani cant stop coughing while attacking Biden on Fox News for urging people to wear masks "Unhinged, crazy and incredibly loud": Ana Navarro says Kimberly Guilfoyle RNC speech scared her dog Trump Jr.'s remarks about came less than one day after Pelosi reacted to Trump shutting down stimulus negotiations. During an appearance on ABC's "The View" Wednesday morning, Pelosi reiterated her concerns. Story continues "I said yesterday to my colleagues, I said there are those who say that the steroids had an impact on people's thinking, I don't know, but there are those health care providers who say that," Pelosi said. "Also, if you have the coronavirus, it has an impact, as well. So the combination is something that should be viewed." She also expressed concern about Trump's "erratic behavior." Pelosi added, "I think it's true to form. I think that the president has always had erratic behavior. Right now it's very, very dangerous, because he knows the danger of the virus, but he's in denial, as he was right from the start. Denial, delay, distortion." Her remarks came amid the president's ongoing tweet storm on Tuesday, contradicting himself more than once. On Wednesday, Trump tweeted and retweeted more than 50 times just between the hours of 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., according to The New York Times. In addition to Pelosi, the president lodged attacks on a number of Democratic leaders and lawmakers including Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, Democratic vice-presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and the journalist Lester Holt. Related Articles "Didnt work hard enough": Trump suggests Obama was too lazy to appoint judges on "Fox & Friends" Senate GOP rejects pandemic food stamp aid while calling to double three-martini lunch deduction You can watch the video below via YouTube: Washington: There was an unsafe close encounter between a US Navy P-3 Orion and a Chinese surveillance aircraft over the disputed South China Sea, the first known mid-air encounter under the Trump administration. One US official said the Chinese plane was a Peoples Liberation Army Air Force KJ-200. The two planes flew within 1,000 feet of each other in the general vicinity of the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. A spokesperson for US Pacific Command, which oversees US troops in the region confirmed, the incident, calling it unsafe in a statement provided to CNN. The US Navy P-3C was on a routine mission operating in accordance with international law, Major Rob Shuford said.The Department of Defense and US Pacific Command are always concerned about unsafe interactions with Chinese military forces, he added. We will address the issue in appropriate diplomatic and military channels. A second official said that the American P-3 had to alter course to ensure that there was not an aerial collision.While the Navy considers the encounter to be unsafe, it does not assess that any malign intent was behind the incident, though the event was considered serious enough to be raised up the chain of command. The official called encounters between US and Chinese aircraft like the one that took place on Wednesday extremely rare, noting that there were zero such incidents in 2015 and two in 2016. It was the first such instance of 2017. China claims almost all of the South China Sea despite objections from neighbors including the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam. Beijing has also created artificial islands in the area, outfitting some of them with military features. The area around the Scarborough Shoal has been at the epicenter of the China-Philippines dispute over territorial claims in the South China Sea, with Chinese Coast Guard ships frequently operating in the area. In Beijing, the state-run Global Times newspapers website quoted an unidentified defence ministry official as saying that the Chinese pilot had responded in a legal and professional manner. We hope the US side will focus on the relationship between the two countries and two militaries in their entirety, adopt concrete measures and eliminate the root causes of accidental incidents between the two countries on sea and in the air, the official said. The US does not take a position as to the sovereignty of the waters but has insisted on the right to conduct freedom of navigation operations. The need for the two militaries to keep an eye on each other could help explain the presence of surveillance aircraft like the P-3 and KJ-200. During his confirmation hearings, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson suggested that the US should take a harder line in addressing Chinas assertiveness in the South China Sea. On Monday, three Chinese Coast Guard ships entered waters near a chain of islands, called the Senkakus by Tokyo, which are claimed by both China and Japan in the East China Sea, according to Chinese and Japanese authorities. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. 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. Solidarity, defiance in under-fire Karabakh city With women and children heading to the Armenian capital Yerevan and men going to fight, it is mostly older people left hunkering down in Stepanakert Most of the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh's main city have left for safety or the frontline as fighting rages between Azerbaijan and Armenia, but those who stayed behind are finding solace in solidarity. With women and children heading to the Armenian capital Yerevan and men going to fight, it is mostly older people left hunkering down in cellars in Stepanakert. They hide from the Azerbaijani strikes that day and night pound Nagorno-Karabakh, an Azerbaijani region now populated almost exclusively by Armenians who declared an unrecognised breakaway state as the USSR fell. Those still in the city are proudly boasting that Stepanakert has seen none of the looting that usually accompanies wars. At the end of a deserted street, hit in the night by an Azerbaijani rocket, the intact glass front of a grocery store seems to be waiting for a customer, with its Coca-Cola ad on the door and multicoloured plastic flowers on the counter. Chocolate biscuits, crisps, sausages and meat are impeccably laid out on the counter. "You can take what you want! Just leave the money next to the till," shouts out a neighbour. Empty houses and shops have been left intact. Even the fridges filled with fizzy drinks installed outside every shop remain untouched, sometimes lit up at night and almost the only light in a city that blacks out as a security precaution as darkness falls. "The owners and employees of these shops are all at the front. Nobody would dare to approach to steal anything," said Marine Aghasyan, 49, as she stood behind the counter of a small supermarket in Stepanakert. The shop belongs to her son who is a "volunteer on the front", she explained. "I live close by. I open from time to time, when the neighbours need something, or to come and recharge my phone, because the electricity is cut at the house." "No one comes to loot, people are standing together," she said, glancing at an array of chewing gum and an empty shelf that should normally store the locally produced "Noy" cigarettes. Story continues "My son took all the cigarettes to distribute to his comrades on the front line," she said. - 'Supporting our soldiers' - The current ethnic composition of Karabakh means that all the residents of Stepanakert, which usually has a population of over 50,000, are united against what they see as Azerbaijani "aggression". The older people remaining in the city express shame that they are not able to go to the front and scoff at the idea that anyone could take advantage of the situation by looting. Those old enough can remember the hardship of the war over Karabakh that erupted as the Soviet Union collapsed, ending only in 1994. It also helps that, for now, there are no food shortages in Stepanakert. "Every day we find out about the needs of the inhabitants, we provide them with food, blankets, candles... whatever it takes to cope," said Suren Tarmazyan, the deputy mayor. "Here really, people cannot loot," he added, almost surprised at the question. Police are also still plentiful in the city, which is home to the separatist Karabakh government and its institutions. In the end, it is only the stray dogs who sniff at the gates of the empty houses. "Forget the looting, there is never going to be any," said Marine Aghasyan at her Boka supermarket. "What matters right now are our children. And supporting our soldiers at the front." hba-sjw/mm/jxb Members of a group charged with plotting to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan were said to have made some security lapses during their meetings. An affidavit from an FBI special agent describes a meeting in which one man collected all other attendees' cellphones and put them in a box "to prevent any monitoring." Unbeknownst to them, the special agent said, an FBI source who attended the meeting was wearing a recording device. Several members of an armed group who were charged with plotting to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan at her vacation home failed to thoroughly inspect one another for security breaches during a group meeting, according to an FBI special agent's affidavit released Thursday. Adam Fox, one of the six men who was charged in the plot, was said to have met with other accomplices at his business in Grand Rapids on June 20. As a precaution, the affidavit said, Fox conducted the meeting in a basement that was "accessed through a trap door hidden under a rug." Fox then collected attendees' cellphones in a box and put it upstairs "to prevent any monitoring," the affidavit said. One of the attendees, however, was an FBI source who was wearing a recording device. The audio revealed the group discussing plans to attack the Michigan State Capitol and use Molotov cocktails against police vehicles, the affidavit said. Special Agent Richard J. Trask II said the affidavit relied on information from two confidential sources and two undercover employees but other sources were used during the investigation. Six men were charged in connection with the kidnapping plot. The FBI said it became aware of the plans sometime in early 2020 through social-media channels. Seven other men were charged with terrorism-related crimes. "Several members talked about murdering 'tyrants' or 'taking' a sitting governor," Trask said in the affidavit. "The group decided they needed to increase their numbers and encouraged each other to talk to their neighbors and spread their message." Story continues Video: How Americas state police got military weapons Fox was quoted saying he needed "200 men" to attack the Capitol in Lansing and take hostages, including Whitmer. "Snatch and grab, man. Grab the f---in' governor. Just grab the b----," Fox said during a July 27 meeting recorded by an informant, according to the affidavit. "Because at that point, we do that, dude -- it's over." Whitmer has been criticized by conservative activists for the state's response to the coronavirus. In April, Whitmer extended a stay-at-home order that imposed restrictions on businesses that were classified as essential. The order was later rescinded as part of the state's reopening plans. During a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Whitmer described the men as "sick and depraved." "Hatred, bigotry and violence have no place in the great state of Michigan," she said. Read the original article on Business Insider Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The global netted fabrics market size is expected to reach USD 342.7 million by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., expanding at a CAGR of 3.9% over the forecast period. Growing preference for durable and comfortable apparel especially in the field of sports, along with changing trends in the fashion industry, is likely to create robust demand for the global market. Celebrities and bloggers across the globe have been seen flaunting dresses and apparels such as stockings and scarfs made up of net fabric over social media sites such as Instagram and Twitter. Netted fabric has emerged as the upcoming global fashion trend and is featured on various platforms such as Milan Fashion Week and Elle Magazines Spring 2019 Collection. Nylon is expected to register a CAGR of 4.4% over the forecast period. The segment growth is attributed to its extensive usage in manufacturing of backpacks, tents, and mosquito and fishing nets. This material carries high tensile strength and durability, hence it is used in sportswear such as tights and running shorts for athletes. Rapidly growing automotive industry is helping the global market to boom as polyester mesh is popularly used to manufacture seat covers as it enables permeability of air. For instance, Chinese suppliers such as SeatCoverPlus provides customized seat covers with breathable and comfortable mesh fabric, thereby providing a sweat-proof yet contemporary look to the interiors of a car. Fishnet is a slightly-coarse netting variety usually made up of polyester and nylon that helps in adding a considerable amount of elasticity for more stretchiness. The segment is expected to register a CAGR of 4.3% over the forecast period owing to significant its use in these fabrics. These are often used to manufacture tents and fishing nets. Moreover, this product is used to make stockings, hosiery, bodysuits, and other stretchable clothing, especially for women. For instance, a number of brands such as Victoria Secrets, Hunkemoller, and H&M use fishnet fabric to make bodysuits and beachwear. Due to evolving contemporary trends in the fashion industry, designers are more inclined towards using knitted/woven fabrics. For instance, Nike, Adidas, and Puma are manufacturing shoes and sportswear using mesh fabric to increase the level of complacency and resilience. Additionally, companies such as Wrogn and HRX have made sportswear and athleisure wear comparatively cheaper and popular amongst the young online shoppers. Countries such as India, China, and Brazil are taking more initiatives in sports, which, in turn, is leading to higher sales of trendy sportswear and shoes. In terms of revenue, Asia Pacific is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 4.5% from 2019 to 2025. Market demand is expected to boost, especially for the clothing segment, due to rise in designer brands like Anita Dongre, Sabyasachi, and Needledust in this region. The Asia Pacific netted fabrics market is anticipated to witness the fastest growth due to the presence of a substantial number of manufacturers in this region, coupled with rapidly growing adolescent population. Key players in the market include Ultraflexx; Jason Mills, LLC; The Chemours Company; Stannek Netting; Birdair; Taconic; Fiberflon; and Snyder Manufacturing, Inc. For instance, Stannek Netting is a U.S. based manufacturer that specializes in netted fabrics of different variants including polyester and nylon and according to the data retrieved by Hoovers, it had annual sales of 17 million in 2018. To request a sample copy or view summary of this report, click the link below: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/netted-fabrics-market Further key findings from the report suggest: By product, tulle accounted for 38.1% share of the total revenue in 2018 and is projected to exhibit a significant increase over the coming years Europe is projected to generate a revenue of USD 105.4 million by 2025 APAC is the fastest growing region with a CAGR of 4.5%. This trend is projected to continue over the coming years An increase in the demand is observed over the past few years due to rising purchasing power parity of consumers and increased preference for durable and comfortable apparel in countries such as Dubai, China, India, and Sri Lanka The netted fabrics industry is highly competitive in nature with the major players including Ultraflexx; Jason Mills, LLC; The Chemours Company; Stannek Netting; Birdair; Taconic; Fiberflon; and Snyder Manufacturing, Inc. Grand View Research has segmented the global netted fabrics market on the basis of material, product, application, and region: Netted FabricsMaterial Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2025) Nylon Polyester Others Netted FabricsProduct Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2025) Tulle Fishnet Others Netted FabricsApplication Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2025) Clothing Utility Netted FabricsRegional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2025) North America US. Europe France UK. Asia Pacific India China Central and South America Brazil Middle East and Africa Saudi Arabia About Grand View Research Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare. State Bank of Indias new chairman Dinesh Khara in his first press interaction refused to comment on the issue as the matter is subjudice. New Delhi: The governments decision pertaining to waiver of interest-on-interest on loans under moratorium would be a manageable outcome as the value impact of waiving interest-on-interest is quite limited feel experts. According to rating agency ICRA, assuming that not more than 30-40 per cent of the overall loans of the banks and NBFCs would be eligible for relief, the cost to the government should not exceed Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000 crore. Jefferies India analysts in a report said, If the extent of waiver from banking sector to borrowers is limited to interest-on-interest only, it would be a manageable outcome as value impact of waiving interest-on-interest is quite limited and will also address the overhang. Anil Gupta, vice president, financial sector ratings at ICRA Ltd said, Assuming not more than 30 to 40 per cent of the overall loans of the banks and NBFCs will be eligible for relief, the cost to the government should not exceed Rs 5000 to Rs 7000 crore. This is assuming all borrowers are given relief irrespective of they availing the moratorium or not. To bring in parity between borrower who availed moratorium and one who didn't, a notional amount of interest on interest will need to be reduced from the principal amount outstanding against the borrower who didn't avail moratorium. Also given the intent of the government to absorb the cost of the waiver, we expect the impact to be minimal on profitability of lenders, added Gupta. The central government, in an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, has supported waiving compound interest or interest on interest for small ticket loans up to Rs 2 crore. The relief would be available to all borrowers, the government said in the affidavit but did not specify the manner in which relief would be provided to those who may not have availed the moratorium. State Bank of Indias new chairman Dinesh Khara in his first press interaction refused to comment on the issue as the matter is subjudice. According to Reuters story, domestic banks fear that the governments decision would create unnecessary work for lenders and lead to more litigation, without providing much of a boost for the sagging economy. Getting the money back from the government is a painful exercise, said a senior banker at one of Indias shadow banks. At the end, a lot of work will happen, nobody will be happier and the government will be poorer. 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. Editor's note: This is an excerpt of the October 8 edition of CNN's Meanwhile in America, the daily email about US politics for global readers. Click here to read past editions and subscribe. (CNN) Vice presidential debates are a bit like veeps themselves: a bit of a step down from the real thing. But the extremity of the times lends unexpected gravity to the upcoming showdown between Vice President Mike Pence and Democrat Joe Biden's running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Wednesday night. Pence heads into the clash seeking to restore some coherence and equilibrium to President Donald Trump's campaign following Trump's derailed debate performance last week and hospitalization with Covid-19. Pence's task is similar to that of then-Vice President Biden in 2012: steadying the ship after a rough first debate for the ticket topper, though Barack Obama's stumbles had nothing on Trump's tantrums in Ohio. Harris, meanwhile, is on a mission to relentlessly turn the debate back to Trump including his irresponsible claim Tuesday that the coronavirus was just like the flu, and his decision to blow up economic rescue talks with millions unemployed. She will want to show she's ready to serve as president at a moment's notice -- a relevant question since Biden would be 78 when he took the oath of office -- and defend against Pence's efforts to brand her as an extreme liberal. But should the debate be going ahead at all? Many medical experts say Pence should be quarantining, as the coronavirus spreads from its White House hot spot to Capitol Hill and to the Pentagon's most senior military leadership. Incredibly, Pence who runs the administration's coronavirus task force -- initially objected to protective plexiglass screens around each debater. It's obvious why; such imagery would be ruinous to his boss's completely false claim that there's nothing to fear from Covid-19. Whatever the result of the election, we won't have seen the last of Pence and Harris. Vice presidential debates might be an undercard but they are often a showcase for the top political talent of the future -- and a clue to later presidential campaigns. 'We cannot afford to stop' Trump's abrupt decision to stop work on a new stimulus package until after the election surprised people on both sides of the aisle on Tuesday. The subject of months of negotiation, that money would have offered life support to the virus-stricken US economy. "I disagree with the President. With lives at stake, we cannot afford to stop negotiations on a relief package," tweeted Republican Rep. John Katko, a New York lawmaker who represents a swing district. "I strongly urge the President to rethink this move." 272 words They're calling it the Gettysburg Address. Not really -- someone else got there first. But walking in the footsteps of President Abraham Lincoln at the Civil War battlefield in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Biden made his most forceful appeal yet for national unity amid the divisions of the Trump era. "Today, once again, we are a house divided, but that, my friends, can no longer be," the Democratic presidential nominee said, invoking one of the Great Emancipator's most famous lines. "We are facing too many crises, we have too much work to do, we have too bright a future to have it shipwrecked on the shoals of anger and hate and division," he said. Biden pledged, if elected president in November, to lead a bipartisan effort to defeat the virus, to forge economic equality and to heal the antagonism that is tearing America apart. Promising to be a president for all Americans, he rebuked the critics who say he's naive to think Republicans and Democrats can find common ground. And he proclaimed, like Lincoln did back in November 1863, that it was time for a "new birth of freedom," warning that "the country is in a dangerous place. Our trust in each other is ebbing. Hope seems elusive." Given the pandemonium unfolding at the White House, the speech was the latest sign of Biden's increasing political astuteness a quality not much associated with his past presidential campaigns. As Trump's behavior becomes ever more extreme, the Democratic nominee, who appears to be widening his lead in polls with four weeks to go, is offering the country something it hasn't enjoyed for years: quiet normality. 'Idle for weeks' In the middle of a pandemic, the National Institutes of Health has been accused of forcing a top vaccines expert to "sit idle for weeks" out of political concerns. Dr. Rick Bright, the former director of BARDA, a US agency that helps fund and develop vaccines and other measures against pandemics and biological attacks, was transferred to NIH earlier this year, and he resigned Tuesday with a fiery letter released by his lawyers: "Although not allowed at NIH to utilize his expertise in vaccines or therapeutics, Dr. Bright developed a plan to implement a robust national testing infrastructure" for Covid-19, the letter said. It accused the agency of suppressing his recommendations, however, "for political reasons to the detriment of public health and safety." And though you might expect the US to recruit all of its best talent in the battle against the virus, the letter said Bright had been assigned no real work for the past month. This story was first published on CNN.com "Whatever the result of the election, we won't have seen the last of Pence and Harris." Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws 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 (Getty Images) A conservative commentator interrupted the only woman on a CNN panel while defending Mike Pence against accusations that he repeatedly spoke over Kamala Harris during Wednesday night's vice presidential debate. Former GOP senator and Trump supporter Rick Santorum appeared on the network to discuss the clash between Ms Harris, 55, and Mr Pence, 61, both of whom went head-to-head on a number of key issues ahead of November's election. Following the contest, Mr Pence was accused of repeatedly cutting in on his rival, with a CBS News analysis showing that he made twice as many interruptions (10-5) as Ms Harris, and spoke for two minutes longer. When CNN's Gloria Borger pointed out the vice president's repeated incursions, Mr Santorum shouted: "Dont make the claim that he interrupted repeatedly! before she got to finish her point. As Ms Borger attempted to finish her sentence, Mr Santorum continued to talk over her, apparently unaware of the irony of the situation. Coronavirus took centre stage at last night's debate, with Ms Harris accusing the Trump administration of the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country over its handling of the pandemic. Mr Pence defended the president's record on the pandemic and other issues under robust attack from Ms Harris, who said the president's failures had cost American lives. The contest was in stark contrast to last week's combative encounter between Mr Trump and Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden. With less than four weeks to go until the November election - and more than 5 million votes already cast - the vice presidential debate was unlikely to change many minds in a clash dominated by voter reactions to the presidential candidates. Mr Biden has led the president consistently in national polls, but surveys in a number of key battleground states - such as Arizona - show a much tighter race. Vice presidential candidates clash in Wednesdays debateGetty Images On Thursay, Ms Harris will be joined by Mr Biden at an event with Native American leaders in Arizona. Story continues Mr Pence also will travel to Arizona, for a campaign event in Peoria, after beginning the day with an airport hangar rally in Boulder City, Nevada. Nevada and Arizona are critical swing states in the race for the White House. Mr Biden's campaign has targeted Arizona, which the president carried by 3.5 percentage points in 2016 against Democrat Hillary Clinton, as a state he could flip in his bid to gather the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House. A Reuters/Ipsos poll on Wednesday showed Mr Biden with a narrow 2-percentage-point edge on Mr Trump in Arizona, which has 11 electoral votes. Mr Trump, 74, lost Nevada to Ms Clinton by 2.4 percentage points in 2016, and is hoping to claim it in November, although polls have shown he has an uphill battle. Additional reporting by Reuters Read more Pence repeatedly interrupts Kamala Harris in vice presidential debate Mike Pence wont say if Trump will accept election defeat peacefully Harris lands punches on Pence over Trumps record in only VP debate STURTEVANT With the number of COVID-19 cases sharply rising in Wisconsin, Sturtevant Village President Jayme Hoffman this week cautioned village trustees that changes to village government and board operations and usage of the village hall may be affected in the near future. Hoffman cited Gov. Tony Evers Executive Order #3 mandate issued Tuesday, limiting the size of indoor public gatherings, with some exceptions, to 25% of posted room or building occupancy limits or 10 persons where no occupancy limits are posted. The governors order went into effect at 8 a.m. Thursday and remains in place until Nov. 6th. Wisconsin has one of the the worst COVID case rates in the nation, , according to the COVID Tracking Project. The New York Times, in figures updated Oct. 7, reported that four of the nations top 10 COVID metro-area hotspots for greatest number of new COVID cases relative to their population over the past two weeks are in northeastern Wisconsin, including Oshkosh-Neenah at No. 2, Green Bay at No. 3, Appleton at No. 4 and Marinette at No. 8 in the top 10. Among metro areas where new cases are rising fastest on a population-adjusted basis, Sheboygan was ranked No. 1 and Wausau-Weston was ranked No. 6 according to the New York Times. As were seeing the COVID number climbing sky high if this continues, we should be prepared as a board to make some decisions as we need to, Hoffman said. Are we going to close the office again? Are we going to go remote with our meetings again? I feel we should have a discussion If we get to that point, we should be prepared. The matter will be taken up by the villages Administration, Personnel, Policy and Legal Committee next week. When COVID first hit Wisconsin in March, the Village of Sturtevant put in place a number of health and safety protocols. The village had originally closed Village Hall to the public back in March, Village Administrator Gerald Nellessen told The Journal Times. The meetings were held virtually. Staff did come into the office, using recommended precautions, and the village hall was closed to the public for walk-in traffic. There was a doorbell so those who needed to perform village business could do that. Staff does have the availability to work remotely from home using village-issued laptop computers. Village Hall did open back up on June 1, while still using recommended precautions. We did purchase two sanitizing sprayers that we use to sanitize the building and vehicles. We have made dividers in the Board Room to separate off the spaces between persons. We do have the ability to go back to virtual meetings and our direction moving forward will be discussed at committee next week. Sturtevant Police Department report Sturtevant Police Chief Sean Marschke reported to village trustees on the departments September law enforcement operations, which encompassed 686 service calls handled by officers, including 165 traffic calls and stops. Marschke reported to the board that the department has been steadily getting busier, in part due to increased traffic problems, which we are trying to take care of with our overtime money thats been allocated as such. In a post-meeting interview, Marschke told The Journal Times that speeding and reckless driving are the major problems being seen by Sturtevant Police. The biggest reason, I believe, is theres still less cars out there because of COVID, he said. When theres less cars, people just go faster. And with the new roadways like Braun Road and Highway 11 being widened and extended, were seeing even increased speeds there, too Its just nuts. Marschke reported to the board that the Sturtevant Police Department made a total of 110 arrests in September, including 94 municipal traffic arrests, 10 felony and misdemeanor arrests and six municipal ordinance arrests. Trustees report In other news at the Oct. 6 village board meeting: Trustee Carrie Harbach reported to the board that the villages Trick-or-Treat Food Truck Spooktacular will take place on Saturday, Oct. 31 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at South Park, 3209 95th St. Trick-or-treating will take place throughout the village from 5-7 p.m. Family costume judging at South Park will take place at 7:30 p.m., with prizes awarded, followed by an 8 p.m. bonfire. Food trucks will be on-site at South Park offering concessions from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Trustee Jerrold Klinkosh reported that Wednesday operations at the villages Recycling Center have been extended through at least the end of October. The Recycling Center operational hours on Wednesdays run from 3-6 p.m. Usage of the Recycling Center on Wednesdays will be monitored in determining whether additional extension of Wednesday services are warranted. Trustee Mike Rosenbaum reported that residents can now pay their sewer bills online, with village deputy administrator and treasurer Amanda Gain noting that the villages new credit card payment system was working very well and that the village can accept payments for just about any business we do here either online or in person at the village office. Trustees approved the transfer of the alcohol retailing license for the Mobil at 8920 Durand Ave. from Jetender Mehesh to new station owner Sawaraan Singh. Love 0 Funny 1 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. In an audience with the Committee of Experts of the Council of Europe (Moneyval), Francis reiterates that the worship of the ancient golden calf (cf. Ex 32:1-35) has returned in a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money and the dictatorship of an impersonal economy lacking a truly human purpose". Vatican City (AsiaNews) Pope Francis today called Committee of Experts of the Council of Europe (Moneyval) to help prevent modern "merchants" from "speculating in that sacred temple that is humanity" by rethinking our relationship with money that "must serve and not govern", as is the case sometimes today when in the effort to amass wealth, there is little concern for where it comes from. The Committee which is carrying out an evaluation of the measures introduced by the Vatican to counter money laundering and the financing of terrorism, meeting them today Francis reiterated that " You cannot serve both God and money". In his greeting, Francis said that the work done by the Committee is particularly dear to my heart. Indeed, it is closely linked to the protection of life, the peaceful coexistence of the human race on earth, and a financial system that does not oppress those who are weakest and in greatest need. It is all linked together. As I wrote in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, I consider it necessary for us to reflect anew on our relationship with money (cf. No. 55). It seems that in many places the supremacy of money over human beings is taken for granted. Sometimes, in the effort to amass wealth, there is little concern for where it comes from, the more or less legitimate activities that may have produced it, and the mechanisms of exploitation that may be behind it. Thus, situations can occur where, in touching money, we get blood on our hands, the blood of our brothers and sisters. It can also happen that financial resources are used to spread terror, to shore up the strongest, the most powerful and those prepared to sacrifice the lives of their brothers and sisters without a scruple, all in a bid to hold onto their power". He continued: "The Churchs social teaching has underscored the error of the neoliberal dogma (cf. ibid., 168) which holds that the economic and moral orders are so completely distinct from one another that the former is in no way dependent on the latter (cf. Pius XI, Quadragesimo Anno, ed. Carlen, 42). In light of the present circumstances, it would seem that the worship of the ancient golden calf (cf. Ex 32:1-35) has returned in a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money and the dictatorship of an impersonal economy lacking a truly human purpose (Evangelii Gaudium, 55). Indeed, financial speculation fundamentally aimed at quick profit continues to wreak havoc (Fratelli Tutti, 168)." Policies aimed at countering money laundering and terrorism are a means of monitoring movements of money and of intervening in cases where irregular or even criminal activities are detected. Jesus drove merchants from the temple precincts (cf. Mt 21:12-13; Jn 2:13-17) and stated: You cannot serve both God and money (Mt 6:24). Once the economy loses its human face, then we are no longer served by money, but ourselves become servants of money. This is a form of idolatry against which we are called to react by reestablishing the rational order of things, which appeals to the common good,[1] whereby money must serve, not rule (Evangelii Gaudium, 58; Gaudium et Spes, 64; Laudato Si, 195)." Armenias Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Wednesday gave Euronews an interview, the English text of which is presented below. Euronews: The UN, the Minsk Group, the EU have all called for an immediate ceasefire yet the fighting continues so can you explain to us what are you aiming to achieve here? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - You see the most important thing is that we welcomed the international community and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs acknowledgement of what has been happening. We have welcomed the statements of OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries presidents and foreign affairs ministers. Turkey has announced that Azerbaijan should not stop the hostilities. And Azerbaijan has essentially remained within the instruction given to it by Turkey. And the statement today by the EU Commissioner for External Affairs confirms this situation. Taking into consideration that there are terrorist groups fighting on [the] Azerbaijani side, which are involved in the hostilities, they are recruited and transported to the conflict zone, by Turkey. And the fact that the Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, at this very moment that I speak to you, are under an existential threat, because all the towns and villages are under constant shelling by rockets and missiles, including the capital city Stepanakert. I think the international community in this situation should decisively act now and recognize the independence of Karabakh. Euronews: Azerbaijans defense ministry has said that your forces are shelling some of its towns. We must be clear that there are civilian casualties on both sides of this, Id like to understand, are you pursuing peace? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - Absolutely, the defense army of Nagorno-Karabakh has struck, and the defense ministry of Nagorno-Karabakh, clearly explained that the strikes had to be made because nothing else was possible. It was the only way to stop the Azerbaijani rocket attacks and the missile attacks against towns and villages of Nagorno-Karabakh and against civilians. Euronews: There is no consensus from either side for who is responsible for the violence starting again on September 27. You made a statement last year, your foreign minister that you were going to prepare civilian populations for peace. That is not what were seeing. Id like to understand, do what extent you feel emboldened or at least supported to act because perhaps you feel that you are supported from Russia? To what extent is that driving some of your decisions and actions? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - Peace, as always, has been our primary and ultimate goal from the day I was elected prime minister, I said we have to strive to find a solution that will be acceptable to the people of Armenia, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and the people of Azerbaijan. And I am the first leader involved in the negotiations who officially says any solution must be acceptable to the people of the other side as well. The whole problem is that Azerbaijan does not and has not accepted officially this approach. For them the only solution is through ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh, to be fully cleaned of Armenians and will fall completely under Azerbaijani control. This is a threat of genocide. Today international terrorists are involved in the implementation of that genocide. They were recruited, brought to the region by Turkey. They are fighting on the side of Azerbaijan. And this fact has essentially been recognized already by countries in the region and a number of European countries. So I wish to highlight, if we want to stop the humanitarian catastrophe, if we want to stop this conflict growing any wider, the international community needs to show determination and recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh. Euronews: The international community is also looking to your actions and we must stress that there are civilian casualties on both sides. People have died in Azerbaijan as a result of actions that you have overseen. What measures are you taking to try to limit the suffering of people caught up in this violence? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - Going back to your previous question, its very important to set the record clear, asked as to who unleashed this attack. And I think in the international media and amongst the international community, there is sufficient information Armenia and Karabakh could not start this war for the simple reason that we have no military tasks to accomplish here. The task we have is a political one. Azerbaijan is the one, which in the last 15 years and in the last 15 days before this war, please allow me to finish. And in the 15 days preceding the war and I am answering your question, if you will give me a minute, please. In the 15 years preceding the war, the 15 months, 15 weeks, 15 days and 15 hours preceding the war, Azerbaijan has constantly threatened that it will solve this issue by military means. This is no secret. Let us publicly analyze the statements, which were made by Azerbaijan and Turkey. Let us analyze publicly why terrorists had to brought to Azerbaijan to the line of contact. What other purpose could there be in recruiting terrorists from another country, bringing them to ones country? If that country is not planning a military aggression, why would Azerbaijan agree to terrorists being transported to its territory? But we think that the most important thing today is to stop violence. And for this, Azerbaijan needs to stop its attacks if they want peace in the region. And the best tool for it, in our opinion, is the international communitys recognition of the independence of Karabakh. Euronews: Are you prepared to stop the attacks? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - Yes, of course. But, this does not mean that we would wait then they would come and commit genocide on our people. We have not attacked anyone. Our actions and the actions of Karabakh are only for self-defenses. We have not and do not have the purpose to kill anyone. Our only purpose is to protect the Armenian people from another genocide. It is a self-defense purpose. Euronews: What would be an acceptable resolution for you? Is there a different way of finding a resolution to this conflict which doesnt involve violence? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan: Our position has been and remains that the Karabakh issue can not be solved through violence. Any solution cannot be achieved through violence. But Azerbaijans policy has been a plan to violently solve the Karabakh issue. Armenia has always been ready for compromise. Azerbaijan is the one which does not in any way want any compromise. They do not want compromise. Their only solution is that the Armenians of Karabakh, who always have been 80 plus per cent of the population of Karabakh, should be displaced and they are going to get Karabakh through ethnic cleansing and that area becomes free of Armenians and a non-Armenian inhabited area. These people cannot just leave their thousands of years homelands just because Azerbaijan demands so, they have to defend themselves and they have that right to self-defense. There is no other aim for Nagorno-Karabakh here, but self-defense. In the historic core of its campus, Princeton University will soon receive a new cultural beacon. Unveiled recently, the design for its art museum by AD100 and Royal Gold Medalwinning architect Sir David Adjaye will create a porous, flexible building, a replacement for the current home of the universitys collections on the same site. In collaboration with museum director James Steward and architecture firm Cooper Robertson, Adjaye has proposed a reconstruction that will double the square footage of the existing facility, introduce a contemporary design that references its historic neighbors, and give the museum a new sense of accessibility when it opens in 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Adjaye Associates The existing museum is a patchwork of different expansions and times that have been welded together, so navigating its galleries is difficult and some spaces have become more prominent than others due to visibility, explains Adjaye. Its current form constrained curatorial opportunities, adds university architect Ron McCoy, and did not meet the academic needs of a modern teaching museum and had no dedicated space for public events. The new three-story building will be composed of seven connected pavilions that allow a substantial number of works to be exhibited at the same time on one level. In addition to creating more opportunities for discovery within the collection, the design plans galleries that alternate in size, reducing the fatigue that sameness can bring to a visitor. The interior enhances the storytelling of art, says Adjaye, who cites the triple-height lobby, connected to the existing library, and the Grand Hall, a space at the heart of the building for open storage display or lectures, as other elements of the new museum that will bring students, faculty, and visitors closer to more art than ever before. Photo: Courtesy of Adjaye Associates Centrally located at the intersection of campus axes and several diagonals, the museum is ripe to be a hub for gathering. However, the enclosed nature of the existing building does not invite interest to be sparked in passersby. The topography of the Princeton campus, and the morphology of its architecture, has long meant that space, like water, rolls down freely along the buildings and streams to Lake Carnegie. The new design of the Princeton University Art Museum settles perfectly in that stream like an archipelago, explains Guy Nordenson, a professor of architecture at Princeton University, noting too that it is intertwined with the surrounding nature and architecture facing on all sides, creating multiple views outward and in. With a permeable ground floor under some lofted pavilions, Adjaye has created a structure of all fronts and no back, the architect says. Not only are students able to weave throughout the site, but there is relationality to the other campus buildings through the materialitybronze, glass, and stone like the campuss collegiate Gothic structureand sight lines from the new museum. Story continues Photo: Courtesy of Adjaye Associates Adjaye, whose previous art museum experience includes the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.; Ruby City in San Antonio; and the Studio Museum in Harlem, believes this design is an example of a new type of teaching museum. As he explains: Its a synthesis of art, learning, and social opportunities that reinforce its position as both a hub and cultural gateway for the arts and humanities on campus and a destination for visitors around the world. Photo: Courtesy of Adjaye Associates Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest 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 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 Colbert, as usual, did the most jokes and the ones most analytical of the event. And he got deepest into the virus that has now infected many in the White House inner circle, including the president who downplayed its seriousness and is now being treated with a steroid that can have profound psychoactive side effects. Trump's get-tough approach and promise to build a border wall were cornerstones of his 2016 campaign Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf speaks during an event at DHS headquarters in Washington. The Department of Homeland Security has rolled out a series of of immigration measures in recent days. The agency is helping to revive an issue that was at the heart of Trumps successful 2016 campaign, but largely on the back burner in the current one. (AP) Washington: It had the ingredients of a President Donald Trump campaign speech: dangerous immigrants, attacks on Democrat-run cities, even a mention of America First. But it was Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, announcing a routine, and relatively minor, enforcement operation Wednesday at a Washington news conference. Its not about Republicans, its not about Democrats, its not about elections, Wolf insisted, twice, to reporters. Yet it was the third time in a week the administration rolled out actions to appear tough on immigration, reviving an issue that was at the heart of Trumps successful 2016 campaign, but largely on the back burner in the current one. And it added to charges from Trump critics that DHS and other agencies have become overtly politicized under this president. DHS, which was created to improve Americas resistance to external threats following the Sept. 11 attacks, has been a tool of key Trump administration policies from the start enforcing stricter immigration policies, building the border wall and, most notoriously, separating families apprehended trying to enter the United States. Its political role has increased in recent months, with the decision to deploy DHS tactical agents to Portland, Oregon, to confront protesters outside the federal courthouse without the consent of local authorities as part of Trumps law and order campaign theme. His modus operandi for the vast majority of the administration has been to use DHS to benefit him politically, said Miles Taylor, who served as the agencys chief of staff from 2017-19. Now, hes trying to use the department to benefit himself electorally. Few issues are as important to Trumps political base as immigration. His get-tough approach and promise to build a border wall were cornerstones of his 2016 campaign. But attention to the issue has ebbed in the 2020 race, as Trump has focused more on unrest in Democratic cities, leftist activists and other matters. But the effort to rekindle the anti-immigration fervor has gained steam. In recent weeks, the administration has announced time limits for students to complete their studies, requirements for additional biometrics and even DNA in some cases to get immigration benefits and a new rule for immigrant sponsors to submit years of credit reports, bank statements and other financial information. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a component of DHS, posted five billboards across Pennsylvania, a battleground state, with images of migrants charged with criminal offenses whom the agency was seeking to arrest. The campaign is rare, if not unprecedented. Last week, the administration announced it has proposed further slashing the number of refugees the United States accepts to a new record low in the coming year. On Tuesday, DHS and the Labor Department said new rules would significantly reduce the number of visas issued to skilled foreign workers, a move welcomed by groups that favor cutting legal immigration into the United States. Then Wolf followed up with the news conference to announce the enforcement operation a fairly routine operation that resulted in a fairly low number of arrests. Its a worrying abuse of power, said Taylor, who has endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden in the Nov. 3 election. The acting secretary, whose nomination is pending before the Senate, said his intention was to highlight the threat posed by cities and states that provide sanctuary to migrants in the country illegally by not turning them over to ICE for deportation. But it just so happens that it tends to be cities and states run by Democrats that provide sanctuary, with local officials arguing that assisting with immigration enforcement discourages crime victims in the country illegally from cooperating with law enforcement on more serious matters. Wolf says its dangerous not to turn them over to ICE, noting that some of those captured in the operation had committed serious crimes such as homicide and sexual assault. ICE focuses its limited resources first and foremost by targeting those who pose the greatest threat to public safety, he said. Still, his mere presence at the news conference was unusual. The fact that Chad Wolf thought that attending a press conference on a modest enforcement action was the best use of his time today shows that he is still hell-bent on politicizing the departments mission in order to help the President in his reelection campaign, said Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat who is chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat, sent a letter to the acting director of ICE, Tony Pham, demanding answers about the operation. I am deeply disturbed that ICE is spending government dollars and putting lives at risk in furtherance of what is described as a political messaging campaign, she said. Since Trump came into office, ICE has conducted targeted raids in sanctuary cities focused on people convicted of crimes in the United States or with pending charges. After a pause at the start of the pandemic, the agency appears to have dialed up the operations. Trump has said Biden wants to abolish ICE and end deportations, but thats not correct. The former vice president has argued that crossing the U.S. border illegally is a crime and should remain punished as such in federal court. A committee of advisers has proposed a 100-day moratorium on deportations, but Biden hasnt endorsed the idea. President Barack Obamas administration also aggressively deported people. In the recent California operation, about 130 people were captured in the five days leading up to Oct. 2. Last month, ICE marked similar operations in Los Angeles, Chicago and Charlotte, North Carolina, with little fanfare just news releases on its website. Wolf said that there would be additional sweeps soon in other U.S. cities, without providing details. Its laid dormant now since the 1980s, but it is a mandate from the state legislature, Jorgensen said of the law, which was written specifically for Lake County. At best, the commissioners have been utilizing power over purchasing and data without authority since that time. But again, we can get more into that later on, but that seems to be the conclusion." Oslo, October 8: The laureate of the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on October 9 in Oslo. The prestigious Nobel Peace Prize, which is one of the world's top accolade, will be awarded to one of the many contenders in the list. According to details on the the Nobel Prize official website, there are 318 candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize for 2020, of which 211 are individuals and 107 are organizations. 318 is the fourth highest number of candidates ever. The current record of 376 candidates was reached in 2016. Also Read | Alexei Navalny Says Vladimir Putin is Behind His Alleged Poisoning The nominations of Nobel Peace Prize are secret for 50 years now, but those who nominate can choose to divulge their choices. The Committee does not itself announce the names of nominees, neither to the media nor to the candidates themselves. Certain names crop up in speculations as to who will be awarded any given years Prize, this is either sheer guesswork or information put out by the person or persons behind the nomination. Nobel Prize in Literature 2020 Winner: Louise Gluck, an American Poet, Receives the Honour for Her Unmistakable Poetic Voice. Top Contenders for 2020 Nobel Peace Prize: Greta Thunberg Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenager, is listed among those deemed most likely to win. Thunberg had also won the TIMEs 2019 Person of the Year, which is often referred to as the alternative Nobel prize for her climate change activism. The Swedish environmental activist was likely to win last years Nobel Peace Prize for raising awareness about the climate emergency. However, the Nobel Peace Prize 2019 ended up going to the Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed for his efforts to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea. Also Read | Trans-Tasman Travel Bubble Between Australia and New Zealand May Open by December With Strict Protocols; Know All About the Travel Bubble Jacinda Ardern Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand prime minister was believed to be a potential winner last year for her handling of the Christchurch terror attacks. Her strong but empathetic response to the Christchurch massacre and her swift action on COVID-19 which helped New Zealand maintain one of the worlds lowest death rates, garnered a lot of praise across the globe. As per Oddschecker, which collects odds from multiple bookmakers, said she is the third most likely contender to win the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize. Story continues World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is believed to be the potential winner by some commentators for its role in leading the worlds response to the coronavirus pandemic. According to media reports, those nominated are Greta Thunberg and Fridays for Future, NATO, the European Court of Human Rights, Julian Assange, Edward Snowden and jailed Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul. Information in the Nobel Committees nomination database is not made public until after fifty years. The Norwegian Nobel Committee is responsible for selecting the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. Loujain al-Hathloul In May 2018, Saudi Arabian authorities detained Loujain al-Hathloul with several other womens rights activists. This happened just one month before the Kingdom lifted its longstanding ban on women driving. Hathlouls imprisonment is a reminder of the price of dissent under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Alexei Navalny Alexei Navalny is a Russian political opponent who is a potential recipient for the Nobel Peace Prize 2020. Navalny, the Russian opposition figure recently left hospital in Berlin after being treated there for novichok poisoning. He alleges that Russian president Vladimir Putin was behind the attack. A nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize may be submitted by any persons who are qualified to nominate. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway, not in Stockholm, Sweden, where the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and the Economics Prize are awarded. Nobel Peace Prize 2019 Winner In 2019, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Ali was given the award for his important work to promote reconciliation, solidarity and social justice. The prize is also meant to recognise all the stakeholders working for peace and reconciliation in Ethiopia and in the East and Northeast African regions. As the U.S. death toll from coronavirus neared 210,000, President Donald Trump announced on Oct. 2 that he and his wife Melania had been diagnosed with COVID-19. The disclosure came in a tweet issued at 12:54 a.m. At 244 pounds, Trump, 74, is considered slightly obese, putting him in a higher-risk category for the disease. Since his announcement, White House officials issued conflicting statements about the president's health during his stay at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Here's a day-by-day account: Day 1: Friday, Oct. 2 Late Friday morning, Trump is diagnosed with a high fever and an oxygen blood saturation level of less than 94%. Normal levels are 95% to 100%. Trump is given supplemental oxygen. White House physician Sean Conley releases these details to the public, but not until Sunday. More: Contact tracing and visualizing the people exposed to COVID-19 by Trump outbreak At 6:31 p.m., Trump tweets an 18-second video in which he announces he's going to the Walter Reed medical center. "I think I'm doing very well but we're going to make sure that things work out," he says. "The first lady is doing very well." Trump traveled to Walter Reed in Marine One helicopter The president is given an experimental antibody cocktail, a combination of two antibodies designed to attack a specific protein of the coronavirus. He also takes his first dose of remdesivir, an antiviral drug. At 11:31 p.m., he tweets "Going well, I think! Thank you to all. LOVE!" Day 2: Saturday, Oct. 3 At Walter Reed, Trump's oxygen level falls again. He is given dexamethasone, a steroid used to reduce inflammation, and a second dose of remdesivir. Map of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Aerial view of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Conley, in the Sunday news conference, says he doesn't know if Trump received another round of supplemental oxygen on Saturday. Conley says on Saturday that Trump is doing "very well." However, Mark Meadows, White House chief of staff, tells reporters that Trump's vital signs were "very concerning." He says the next 48 hours will be critical. Story continues At 1:19 p.m., Trump praises Walter Reed medical staff in a tweet and says "With their help, I am feeling well!" At 6:51 p.m., Trump tweets a four-minute video in which he says "I'll be back, I think I'll be back soon...I'm doing well. I think we're going to have a very good result." Day 3: Sunday, Oct. 4 On Sunday morning, Conley said the president is improving. At 5:16 p.m., Trump announces on Twitter that "I'm about to make a little surprise visit" to dozens of supporters outside Walter Reed hospital. He then unexpectedly leaves the hospital in a motorcade and waves to people from inside a Secret Service SUV. Medical experts criticize the president for putting security personnel at risk for infection. Trump receives a third dose of remdesivir. What we know about the Trump SUV motorcade Day 4: Monday, Oct. 5 At 10:45 a.m., Melania Trump tweets "I am feeling good and will continue to rest at home." At 2:37 p.m., Trump tweets "I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 p.m. Feeling really good! Dont be afraid of Covid. Dont let it dominate your life." At a 3 p.m. news conference, medical officials say Trump has continued to improve and confirm he will be released. "Though he may not entirely be out of the woods yet," Conley says, the president will be surrounded by world-class medical care 24-7. Dr. Brian Garibaldi, a pulmonary physician, says Trump will get a fourth dose of remdesivir before leaving Walter Reed and a fifth dose at the White House on Tuesday evening. "There is no evidence of live virus still present that he could possibly transmit to others," Conley says. The president returns to the White House shortly before 7 p.m. It is not known if Trump would confine himself to the White House residence or work out of the West Wing, where other staffers have reported testing positive for coronavirus. Floor plan of West Wing of the White House West Wing detail West Wing detail, second floor Day 5: Tuesday, Oct. 6 The president "continues to do extremely well" according to a note released by Conley on Oct. 6. "He had a restful first night at home, and today he reports no symptoms." Trumps appearance at a Make America Great Again event in Flagstaff, Arizona, is canceled and no other public events are scheduled. It is still unclear whether Trump is isolated in the White House residence or working from the West Wing. Twitter flags a morning Trump tweet this one comparing COVID-19 to the flu as misleading and possibly hurtful information, but keeps the tweet publicly accessible. Later in the day, Trump tweets he is halting negotiations between administration officials and House Democrats for the coronavirus relief bill. That evening, the president says he wants the House and Senate to approve aid for the struggling airline industry and small businesses. He tweets his support for stimulus checks. Day 6: Wednesday, Oct. 7 Trump has no events scheduled Wednesday. Shortly after 2 p.m., the White House releases a medical update from Conley that says the president had now been fever-free for more than 4 days, symptom-free for over 24 hours, and has not needed nor received any supplemental oxygen since initial hospitalization. Conley also says medical tests showed the presence of antibodies the human body uses to fight the coronavirus. The president remains active on Twitter, with many of his posts aimed at the election. Twitter flags, but does not remove, one of his tweets that says Democratic-run ballot systems are corrupt. Twitter directs viewers to a Twitter fact-checking site that says voting by mail is legal and safe. Day 7: Thursday, Oct. 8 Trump says he will not participate in the next presidential debate with Biden, a virtual town hall scheduled for Oct. 15. "I'm not going to waste my time in a virtual debate," Trump says in a Fox Business interview Thursday morning. His campaign team suggests the second debate be delayed until Oct. 22. Conley issues his third medical update on the president late Thursday, saying Trump's "physical exam has remained stable and devoid of any indications to suggest progression of illness" and that he anticipated Trump's "safe return to public engagements" on Saturday, the 10th day since the initial diagnosis. The president is active on Twitter, tweeting mostly about the upcoming election and political rivals. He releases two videos, one touting his improvements for the military, the other on the coronavirus, promising medicine on an expedited basis. Day 8: Friday, Oct. 9 Speaking by phone with Maria Bartiromo of Fox Business, Trump says, Theres nothing wrong. I had a case, I got it knocked out. I dont think Im contagious at all. The president's claim is met with skepticism by some medical officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who says the announcement is premature. Trump says he plans to address an outdoor rally at the White House on Saturday. He also says he'll travel to an evening rally in Sanford, Florida, on Monday. The president tweets audio clips of some of his conversation with conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh. Day 9: Saturday, Oct. 10 In his fourth medical update, Conley says Trump is able to end isolation and "is no longer considered a transmission risk to others." The president's physician says 10 days have passed since symptoms became apparent and that Trump has been free of fever for more than 24 hours. Conley says Trump will continue to be monitored as he returns to his normal schedule. The president later greets several hundred supporters on the White House South Lawn. Trump speaks from a balcony for about 18 minutes and tells the crowd Im feeling great, and that the coronavirus pandemic was disappearing." Day 10: Sunday, Oct. 11 Twitter flags a morning tweet by Trump in which the president says he is now immune from COVID-19. "A total and complete sign off from White House Doctors yesterday. That means I cant get it (immune), and cant give it." Twitter says the tweet violates rules about "spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to COVID-19," but allows it to remain in the public interest. On Fox News, Trump says he is ready to resume campaigning. Im immune, Trump says. The president is in very good shape to fight the battles. However, the president does not say whether he has tested negative for coronavirus. Day 11: Monday, Oct. 12 As the nation's focus shifts to Supreme Court hearings on nominee Amy Coney Barrett, the president prepare for his evening rally in Sanford, Florida. Trump is returning to the campaign as polls show he has fallen farther behind Democratic candidate Joe Biden. SOURCE USA TODAY reporting and research; Associated Press; C-SPAN; factba.se; White House press office; factcheck.org This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: President Donald Trump's COVID-19 treatment and recovery Does the Wednesday morning bonhomie between Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam point to the blowing away of the crisis that had gripped the AIADMK in the last two months, threatening to wreck its electoral prospects totally? This is the question that people all over the country have been asking ever celebrations broke out at the AIADMK headquarters after the two leaders, who were involved in an acerbic dogfight at the same building just nine days ago, patted each other on the back, exchanging shawls and pleasantries. Of course for the party cadre, who distributed sweets and lighted firecrackers, there was something to be jubilant about: Better sense had prevailed upon their two top leaders, who were not only steering the government but also the party to at least put up a show of unity. The cadre always knew that a discord at the highest echelon of the party at a time when the next elections were just about seven months away would not augur well for the poll prospects. That, too, 2021 would be the first time the party would go to polls without a charismatic icon as the head. The party started by matinee idol MGR was succeeded by J Jayalalithaa, who enjoyed a considerable following for various reasons. Her death in December 2016 had left a void in the party and the present government was inherited by Palaniswami as a legacy of Jayalalithaa. When Palaniswami, who managed to take over the mantle, was running the government, to put it mildly, to the best of his ability, why did the man who was appointed as his deputy mid-way, suddenly raise a banner of protest as though he was destined to be the Chief Minister? Perhaps he revealed his heart at the closed door deliberations that were held since August 15 with many party functionaries trying to console him and some trying to incite him to go for the kill. Whatever it was, he knew that creating a rift in the party, which is otherwise perched precariously in the electoral domain, would lead to its total debacle. Yet if he had gone ahead and demanded his pound of flesh, which is what he believed it was, he thinks he is more entitled for it than the one now holding it. On the other side, if his bete noire was a man keen about keeping aloft the partys flag high in the air, he would not have resisted the bid of another leader, equal to him in the party earlier, in such a trenchant manner. By taking an adamant stand, he might have managed to remain the partys Chief Ministerial candidate. But would that have ensured his becoming the next Chief Minister? The people of the State might not have voted for a party divided down the line and without a charismatic leader. Yet he resisted with all his might, which went on to say that he was more concerned about his future than that of the party. Without going into the pet peeves of the two leaders that prolonged the fight till about a few hours before the time they were to tell the world their final decision, one can say for sure that the two leaders agreed for whatever settlement only because they realized that dividing the party would only help their opponents. Well, it was driven hard into their heads by the other leaders. Probably, externally, the BJP wanted the AIADMK to be united for it seemingly has some plans of riding piggyback on the party to win a few seats in the elections. So if the party goes down the drain with the leaders fighting with each other, it may not help the BJP. But that remains in the realm of speculation as we have only conjectures to support the BJP intervening and keeping the warring leaders together. Even if that was true, one can safely summarize that the differences have not been ironed out and that they could erupt any time. Whether the party wins the elections and forms a government or loses and shifts to the Opposition side, the factionalism would remain until the party finds a leader capturing the imagination of the people. Pursuing a more proactive employment policy during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) period, China has maintained continuous stability of employment situation. From 2016 to 2019, over 13 million jobs were created each year. Huang Xiaohui, 38, is a railway worker who cleans the rail tracks of a section along the Shanghai-Kunming railway. His wife is a co-worker of him. A few years ago, the couple left their hometown and started working on the rails across China to earn more money for their family. We can make a total of over 10,000 yuan ($1,470) per month, Huang told Peoples Daily. Impacted by COVID-19 this year, the couple spent a little more time at home, but their passion for work never stops. Learning that a railway corporation was searching for workers, Huang immediately informed his fellow townsmen to register. We feel assured to have a job, he said. A woman shows dried silkworm cocoons in Longzheng community, Haian, east Chinas Jiangsu province, Oct. 4. Photo by Xiang Zhonglin, Peoples Daily Online According to Chinas Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, a total of 53.78 million jobs were created between 2016 and 2019. By the end of last year, the number of employed people in China stood at 770 million, including over 440 million in urban areas, up 9.5 percent from the end of 2015. The countrys unemployment rate has been kept below its goal of 5.5 percent. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, a batch of new professions emerged as China upgraded its economy, such as digital managers, virtual reality technicians, internet marketers, and online couriers. Zhang Jian is one of the many who joined the new professions. As a farmer-turned drone pilot, he told Peoples Daily that the job not only offers stable income, but also a technique that he likes. Zhang is a villager in Yingchengzi village, Badaling township of Beijing. He occasionally participated in a drone training organized by local human resources authority and became fascinated. Now, he works as a drone-flying demonstrator and tutor of a technology company. A woman makes garments at a poverty alleviation workshop in Gaoluo township, Xuanen county, central Chinas Hubei province, Sept. 24. Photo by Wang Jun, Peoples Daily Online The increasingly diversified employment forms are driving continuous optimization of Chinas employment structure. As of the end of the last year, the employees in first, second and tertiary industries accounted for 25.1 percent, 27.5 percent and 47.4 percent, respectively. The service sector was showing increasing attractiveness. In Qikang handiwork company based in Hefei, Anhui province, 68 physically disabled technicians were making handicrafts in a neat workshop. As an original equipment manufacturer, the company has not-so-high requirement on workers technological capability and labor intensity, so its a great job for the physically disabled. I can make money here every day, and the living condition is also great. I take the company as my home, said Huang Qichuang, a man who works there. Trainees learn to make cakes at a housekeeping training session carried out in Huanghua, north Chinas Hebei province, Sept. 24. Photo by Zhang Guowen, Peoples Daily Online Between 2016 and 2019, a total of 22.09 million unemployed personnel were reemployed in urban areas, and 7.06 residents having difficulty finding work were employed. Besides, 202,000 households which had no employed member now have at least one member employed each, and 12.13 million impoverished people had secured jobs under assistance. Getty As Black History Month arrives in the UK, Business Insider has spoken to black members of parliament about what it is like to be a black person in British politics. The MPs spoke frankly about their own experiences of racism in the predominantly white, male-dominated world of Westminster. Some of the MPs spoke about being mistaken by white officials, politicians and journalists for other black politicians, and discussed how racism has affected their careers. They also spoke about whether the Black Lives Matter movement has made them more optimistic about the future for black people in the UK. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Black History Month has arrived in the UK during a period of intense debate and anger about the racism black people still suffer across the globe in the wake of the tragic death of George Floyd and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests. Business Insider spent the past week speaking to black members from across the UK Parliament about their own experience of being a black person in British politics and the difference the Black Lives Matter movement has made. These MPs spoke frankly about the discrimination and challenges they have suffered in their careers, both inside and outside parliament, and even within their own party. And yet despite that discrimination, they also all spoke about why the Black Lives Matter movement has made them more optimistic that things can now change for the better. What was your experience of entering politics as a black person? Abena Oppong-Asare MP Abena Oppong-Asare Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour MP for Erith and Thamesmead): At the time I was running to become a councillor there was only one black councillor out of 63 [on Bexley council] and that year we went from one to six out of 63, which was a bit of a culture shock for some of the councillors there, who apparently couldn't tell the difference between me and other black councillors, even though we didn't look alike. That was something I experienced repeatedly. Story continues Florence Eshalomi (Labour MP for Vauxhall): I will always remember my first council advice surgery when this gentleman came in and said he'd like to see one of the councillors and I said 'Hi, I'm one of the councillors 'and he said 'no I'd like to see one of the real councillors...' I thought to myself 'how do I deal with this situation now?' because it is a case of this man probably thought I was too young, he probably thought what is this black girl doing here and he probably thought she probably doesn't know anything about politics and how the hell did she get elected?... I didn't solve the issue for him but I did raise it with the officers and he came back a few months later and said thank you and it's just things like that where you realised being a black woman involved in politics was not going to be an easy ride. People were always going to question whether you should be there and I thought 'wow, is this going to be how it is going to be?' But that never stopped me and that never deterred me. Was Parliament a welcoming place for you as a black person? Florence Eshalomi Eshalomi: There was a sense of 'oh my gosh, little old me from Brixton is now sitting on these green benches' and you just think wow, what an absolute honour and privilege. But you do get that sense that it is still a white male club. Being curious, walking around you get lost still, and come across corridors and doors where it says 'gentlemen only' and I'm like 'What the hell? What do you mean gentleman only? Seriously?' David Lammy David Lammy (Labour MP for Tottenham and Shadow Secretary of State for Justice): I began to realise that I wanted to be an MP early on but I didn't really recognise that it would be possible until much later in my life, if at all possible. There weren't the individuals in Parliament in sufficient numbers for me to recognise and see myself there. There was Paul Boateng, Dianne Abbott, Keith Vaz, and Oona King but I was very conscious that I was never anonymous in the Palace of Westminster. I felt very self-conscious, I think. I definitely felt, as I suspected Oona felt, as a second-generation African Caribbean born, schooled and raised in Britain, that there was a real responsibility to do the best I could and that there were lots of hopes hanging on my shoulders. Getty Clive Lewis (Labour MP for Norwich South): There have been thousands of radicals who have walked through those doors and you do understand that the whole edifice of parliament is designed to intimidate you to an extent. And I did feel intimidated. It is difficult to speak in the chamber when you're not used to it. You can't speak at your opponent, you have to speak via the Speaker. So there are lots of things that seek to, if you haven't had that public school upbringing in debate, make you feel at a distinct disadvantage. Some people recoil from that, others embrace it. Dennis Skinner was very good at telling us to just go plough headlong into it. Don't worry about looking a prat, sometimes you will, but that's the only way you will learn. Have you experienced racism in parliament? Florence Eshalomi Eshalomi: I've been confused with Kate Osamor [Labour MP for Edmonton], I've been confused for Taiwo Owatemoi [Labour MP for Coventry North West]. I spoke up about the arts sector in the House of Commons and the graphic on the TV labelled me as Taiwo and I thought 'oh come on'. I think that maybe what needs to change is the people working behind the scenes in identifying us. There's a handbook that is printed which shows all the MPs and our names and constituencies, I assume that's sent out to all the key people and journalists, but this mistake still seems to keep happening so something isn't quite right there. Abena Oppong-Asare Oppong-Asare: It's happened to me in parliament as well on quite a few occasions where people have mistaken me for another MP, parliamentary staff as well confusing me with Taiwo, and by a quite senior politician who confused me with Marsha de Cordova [Labour's Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities]. Obviously, you will have to ask them why this keeps on happening but it's just because they're not used to it. It's not something that gets me really upset or angry. We've just got to improve representation. Lammy: I've always received racism. When I started as an MP, people would write it to me in green or red ink and while it wasn't great, it didn't feel frequent. Today people can also tweet, Facebook message you, and use other social media. It's an endemic issue and it's part of this problem of people disappearing into a silo and into closed communities... You can't be in politics if you don't develop a pretty thick skin and I have definitely developed that. The abuse I suffer is much more impactful on my wife, kids, family and friends, I think. I've got a fighting spirit. But I still believe that the vast majority of British people are decent, kind, passionate and hospitable and while racism has increased, it remains a minority. A vehement one, but a minority nevertheless. Is racism holding back black people in politics? Getty Lammy: I am very aware that the Labour Party is not selecting black men. In the age of Black Lives Matter, that is a recognisable issue that needs to be gripped and dealt with. Myself and Clive Lewis and Mark Hendrick are not sufficient. We have to scratch beneath the surface with various communities. If you look at the position of black men in society, there are definitely glass ceilings and prejudices. It starts in education, continues into university, and makes its way into the workplace and the Labour Party is not immune to that. The idea that black and Bangladeshi men are not disadvantaged in the Labour Party's selection process I think is perverse. Lewis: I know that during my selection [to become Labour's candidate in Norwich] there were people saying we can't have a black MP. It came back to me that we can't have a black MP in Norwich because there are people who won't vote for us if we have a black mp. That came back to me. It was very upsetting. When I see people on social media saying I f***ing hate him, a little bit of me wants to go on and say 'can you question why have you got so much anger towards me?' You can be angry towards any MP, I get that, but why that particular vehemence towards me? Can we unpack that? It's very difficult to know what your own shortcomings are. You can't just blame everything on how you are responded to based on race. That would be ridiculous. You've got to own up and fess up to your own failures and mistakes and sometimes it is difficult to know how much is yours and how much is structural and it can eat away at you because it eats at your self-confidence and creates self-doubt because nobody can openly say or even be fully aware of why they respond to you in the way that they do. Is there racism against black people within your own party? Getty Lewis: The thing about structural racism is it is not just saying 'oh he's black I'm not going to support him.' That's not how it manifests itself. It may be in the Conservative party but it's not in the Labour Party. The Labour Party is a lot more insidious. There's a racist dimension to what people in the Labour Party think a good shadow cabinet member looks like, how they sound. So there is structural racism in the Labour Party. One of the things that made me laugh was the people in the parliamentary Labour party standing up during the antisemitism crisis, and saying our party has a proud history of antiracism. I think there was a bit of buying into our own PR. The Labour Party has a very complicated history with race and anyone with a cursory understanding of that history knows that it has not always been a very happy one. What impact has the Black Lives Matter movement had? Florence Eshalomi Eshalomi: The impact has been very strong in getting people who would before never have thought about what white privilege means, would never have thought about the disproportionate numbers of black men being stopped and searched, would never have thought about why more black pupils are permanently excluded in the education system and end up in a life of crime and gangs, would never have thought about why is it that black women disproportionately have a bad experience during childbirth and die during childbirth, would never have thought about why more black people are in zero-hours contracts and substandard housing before, would never have thought about why we are seeing more black and ethnic minority people dying during this pandemic, to start thinking about those things. So I think because everyone was at home there was a time and space for everyone to reflect on those inequalities. Oppong-Asare: I've been contacted by a lot more people asking me to speak on these kinds of issues [since the protests began]. I've had people write to me, who aren't my constituents, asking me what we can do to address this. So it's not just something that black people are concerned about but white people as well. So it has brought people together. But I've felt that some journalists are more concerned about whether taking down statues was the right thing to do or focusing on whether you are going to take the knee and I just think we need to move beyond those kinds of gestures which, I appreciate make a really good story, but they don't really address the real issues. So instead of having real in-depth conversations they have just been kind of let's try and trap this individual into saying whether taking down statues is wrong, which I have found quite frustrating. Getty Lammy: One of the things I draw from Black Lives Matter is the articulacy of young black and white people. There is a sort of consciousness among young people about issues of race and a sense that enough is enough and we need to stride forward in a profound way. I think we will see a generational shift in this country that will be reflected in the country. I can tell that by all the requests in my diary. I always get lots of requests from schools and universities but this year there is a much larger number coming from FTSE 100 companies. People are much more engaged with the issues that have arisen from Black Lives Matter. Is Black History Month still a good idea? Getty Eshalomi: What I would like to see is how we make sure our history in the UK reflects black British contributions, so yes there is the uncomfortable history of empire and slavery but actually let's be bold and talk about that. Let's stop being so British and saying 'oh we can't talk about that' and just brush it under the carpet, that's a part of our history that we don't want to discuss, let's discuss that The recent discussion about statues coming down, I'd like to see more focus on the statues that should go up of black Britons who have contributed so much to the UK. Lewis: I think Black History Month was a good starter for ten before Black Lives Matter blew up and it is a marker that was very good but I think we can be much more ambitious and I think we have to be much more ambitious. That black history can just fit inside a little box for one month out of twelve is quite condescending in a way. Black History Month was great for its time but its now time to move on to something better. Oppong-Asare: I think it is important that we do have Black History Month because we are not at the situation where the curriculum is diverse, so it's very much left up to individual schools to teach all aspects of the empire and I think we need to be teaching the honest, ugly sides of it. And I feel that having the month of October to talk about these things actually makes changes happen. But I do think we need to get to the point where these issues are addressed throughout the year. Read the original article on Business Insider Officials also said PepsiCo will be giving $500,000 for job training and development, though it wasnt clear when or where. The soft drink giant also is giving $1 million to The Hatchery Chicago to help more than 400 female small food business entrepreneurs and job seekers on the South and West sides with micro-grants, officials said. Naver Financial CEO Choi In-hyuk / Courtesy of Naver Financial By Kim Bo-eun Naver Financial is facing continued pressure over high fee rates charged to merchants. The financial services arm of the portal giant is under increased scrutiny after the earnings of Naver Pay rose to a historic high in the first half of this year, after years of operating losses. Lawmakers attribute its profits to the hefty fees Naver Pay charges. Naver Pay was launched in 2015 as an easy online payment service. Naver Financial, established last November, has taken Naver's financial services, including Naver Pay, under its wing. Naver Pay, which reported heavy losses up until last year, posted an operating profit of 10 billion won in the first half of this year, after operating losses of 37.7 billion won in 2017, 65.7 billion won in 2018 and 44 billion won in 2019. The higher earnings are attributed mostly to increased online purchases amid social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Payments made via Naver Pay in the first half of the year totaled 11.2 trillion won, compared to 16.18 trillion won in the whole of 2019. Its chief rival KakaoPay also saw payments surge in the first half to 4.85 trillion won, compared with 6.89 trillion won for all of 2019. But KakaoPay posted an operating profit of 50 million won during the period, with the difference attributed to Naver Pay's fees. Data from opposition lawmaker Yoon Chang-hyun showed fees Naver Pay charged merchants when customers paid with their debit or credit cards via its system exceeded fees of credit card companies and KakaoPay. Naver Pay's fees ranged from 2.2 percent to 3.74 percent, depending on the amount paid. The rate for credit card companies ranged from 0.8 percent to 2.3 percent, while KakaoPay charged 1.04 percent to 2.5 percent. According to data from Rep. Kwon Chil-seung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), Naver Pay has collected more than 1.12 trillion won in fees over the past three years. A Naver Financial official said Naver Pay's general fee rate for payment services is 2.3 percent, of which 2 percent goes to the card firms. "Fees do go higher when we offer other services in addition to the payment service," the official said. Naver Pay offers three payment services. Two offer additional services, including making orders, tracking deliveries, addressing customer inquiries and enabling product reviews, according to Naver Financial. The official said Naver Pay is offering a discounted fee rate of 1 percent to 1.5 percent for small business owners, which includes the 0.8 percent fee Naver has to pay to card firms. Regenerons treatment is a cocktail of two powerful antibodies that are believed to boost the immune response to the virus. Early results seem promising. In a news release, the company has said the cocktail lowered virus levels particularly in people who had not made their own antibodies, but the company has not yet released detailed data to back up its claim. Clinical trials are not yet complete. 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. * Row over separation of EDF nuclear arm * Brussels wants strict split to avoid unfair competition * Paris says that puts unity of company at risk By Benjamin Mallet PARIS, Oct 8 (Reuters) - French plans to ring-fence EDF's nuclear arm from the rest of the power giant have triggered differences between Paris and Brussels over how it should be structured, a source close to the discussions told Reuters. European Commission regulators are reviewing the plans, codenamed "Project Hercules", under which the Paris wants EDF's nuclear power arm ring-fenced, but without an outright split. The differences are clear in a document seen by Reuters which was dated May 6 and carried the letterhead of the APE, which oversees French holdings in state companies including EDF. The document makes clear that the stance adopted by Brussels was not final. Reuters was unable to establish independently if the commission had modified its position since May. The source said this week the differences remained. EDF, the European Commission and APE declined to comment on the document. Nuclear reactors require huge investment and are a drag on EDF's more commercially-attractive businesses, such as renewable energy and power distribution. While EDF's owners want to ring-fence the nuclear entity from the other parts of the business, French President Emmanuel Macron and France's powerful trade unions have said they want EDF to remain as one group. Paris objects to Commission proposals for a strict separation between the units that emerge from EDF's restructuring, the document shows, and the source confirmed. The Commission believes separation is necessary to reduce the risks of state aid or unfair competition, while French officials say that if too strict it jeopardises the aim of keeping EDF operating as a single concern, the document shows. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that discussions were still going on and differences remained over the extent of the separation. Story continues The Commission is focussed on risks of unfair competition while for Paris "keeping an integrated group is imperative", the source confirmed this week. HURDLES TO HERCULES The document detailed previously undisclosed measures that Brussels has proposed to mitigate the risk of "Project Hercules" violating the EU's state aid and competition rules. One proposal was for EDF to create a holding company which would have no operational role and no influence on its subsidiaries, the document shows. Any dividends from the subsidiaries would go directly to the holding company's shareholders, by-passing the holding company itself, according to the document. Among the other suggested remedies, executives would not be able to move directly between the holding company and its subsidiaries, EDF entities could not have a centralised pool of cash and would need clear separation of their respective IT infrastructures as well as limits on information-sharing. (Additional reporting by Foo Yun Chee in BRUSSELS and Sarah White; Writing by Christian Lowe and Benjamin Mallet; Editing by Alexander Smith) Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. More than 840,000 new liver cancer cases were diagnosed around the world in 2018, according to the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF). Similarly, other severe diseases, such as kidney cancer, aneurysms, and varicose veins, are also increasing in prevalence due to genetic predisposition, environmental factors, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and alcohol abuse. The treatment or management of many such issues requires deliberately blocking the blood vessels to reduce the risk of bleeding or hemorrhage or to starve the tumor of blood, by inserting a balloon. Request for sample copy of this report: https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/embolotherapy-market/report-sample Therefore, with the increasing prevalence of the above-mentioned disorders, the embolotherapy market is predicted to grow at an 8.0% CAGR during 20192024 (forecast period), to reach $4.8 billion in 2024 from $3.0 billion in 2018. In normal but life-threatening situations, a blood clot or mass breaks off from a part of the body and travels through the artery, thereby stopping the blood flow. But, because the same is now being done for managing a disease, the process is known as embolotherapy, meaning treatment by creating an embolus. Presently, North America witnesses the highest number of such procedures, as the incidence of various diseases which require these is rising in the continent. Moreover, the continent has the most advanced healthcare infrastructure in the world, and several improved embolic agents are being launched by biopharmaceutical companies. In the coming years, the most rapid embolotherapy market growth would be witnessed in Asia-Pacific (APAC), on account of the expansion in the pool of patients with advanced-stage cancers and rising expenditure on healthcare, which is leading to improvements in the medical infrastructure in the region. Browse full report at: https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/embolotherapy-market This study covers Historical and the present size of the embolotherapy market Major factors driving the market and their impact during the short, medium, and long terms Market restraints and their impact during the short, medium, and long terms Recent trends and evolving opportunities for the market participants The head of the Islamic Republic Radio and Television, Ali Askari, has appointed his brother-in-law, Hamid Shahabadi, as the Deputy Director of the "Seda va Sima" (Voice and Vision) monopolized state-run radio and television network on Wednesday, October 7. Shahabadi is replacing Morteza Mirbaqeri, who, except for a limited period, was the second-in-command of the organization under the directorship of Ali Larijani, Ezatullah Zarghami, and Abdol-Ali Ali Askari. Iran's Voice and Vision is among the largest media organizations in the whole world. It is independent of the Iranian government, but its head is appointed directly by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. With a total number of 13,000 to 50,000 employees, Seda va Sima is a media empire that has branches in twenty countries worldwide, including France, India, Belgium, Malaysia, UK, the United States, and broadcasts in more than thirty languages. Though financed by the government, Seda va Sima is a tax-exempt organization and not accountable to anybody but Khamenei. Shahabadi, Seda va Sima's new Deputy Director and the brother of Ali Askari's wife, was the Deputy of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance in Arts Affairs in the government of hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad between 2005-13. Since October 2017, Shahabadi oversaw Iran's radio networks. Such appointments are usually made in consultation with and approval of the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's office. Shahabadi is the grandson of Ayatollah Shahabadi, one of the of teachers the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khomeini, in the Twelver-Shi'ite seminary in Qom, south of Tehran. He is also the son of Mehdi Shahabadi, a member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, also known as Iran's Majlis parliament, in the first post-Islamic Revolution period. His brother Nasrullah Shahabadi was also a member of the influential Assembly of Experts, and died in 2017. In another decree, Askari appointed Ali Bakhshizadeh to replace Shahabadi to run Iran's radio networks. Bakhshizadeh has no experience in radio, but according to the public relations of Seda va Sima, he has previously been the head of the Monitoring and Evaluation Center of the Radio and Television Organization for two terms and the director of the Radio and Television Network for one term. Since replacing the National Iranian Radio and Television (NIRT) in 1979, Sada va Sima has played a pivotal role in assisting Iranian intelligence agents by broadcasting political activists' forced confessions. A study published in June 2020 by the Justice for Iran and the International Federation for Human Rights said Iranian television had broadcast potentially coerced confessions of 355 detainees since 2010. Former prisoners said they had been beaten and received threats of sexual violence as a means for their false testimonies to be delivered for use by the country's broadcasters. Moreover, two Seda va Sima reporters were recently accused of acting as interrogators on behalf of agents linked to the fearsome Islamic Revolution Guards Corps' Intelligence Organization. Teaching during a pandemic is challenging for Eric Hale, but he knows many of his students are facing far bigger obstacles in their lives. He knows because he's been there. "I know how hard it is to go to school when you're hungry," he said. "I know how hard it is to go to school and focus when you saw your mom get beat by your stepdad last night. I know how hard it is to go to school when other kids say you smell bad, but you know it's because your water was shut off last week." In a phone interview with TODAY, Hale, 40, explained how his own childhood trauma has informed his emotional approach with his students and propelled him to become a top teacher. He was named Texas Teacher of the Year last week, the latest in a string of accolades, but a particularly special one: He's the first Black man to ever receive the award in the state of Texas. Watch as Burnet Elementary educator Eric Hale makes history as the first Black male to win Texas Teacher of the Year. Details: https://t.co/CJqCs6EpuL pic.twitter.com/kZBtwjbKbW Dallas ISD (@dallasschools) October 1, 2020 During a recent appearance on TODAY, Hale expressed gratitude, but pointed out that the recognition was a long time coming. "Im the first winner Im not the first African American male teacher in Texas that deserved it," Hale said. "So its about the 'we,' not the 'me.' Im sharing this award with all the other African American male teachers in the state of Texas. Hale teaches at an elementary school in Dallas, Texas, where the students are 98% Hispanic and most are living at poverty level. Many are first-generation Americans. Hale is known for going above and beyond for his students texting with their parents after school hours, brainstorming fundraisers on the weekends, creating YouTube lessons throughout the summer after he felt his kids got cheated when COVID-19 cut their in-person school year short. Story continues When the pandemic paused in-person learning in March, Hale worried for his students, knowing most of their parents had no choice but to keep working and virtual learning wouldn't be a priority. Hale, seen here as a fifth grader, has often spoken out about his own childhood trauma. (Courtesy Eric Hale) "The digital divide in my school was huge," Hale said. "A lot of my kids didn't even have technology." He raised money to get them school supplies, and then, when he realized that wouldn't be enough, found a way to get them all used laptops. "I have a knack for finding resources and making things happen," he said. "I know what it's like to survive." Hale grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, with a mother struggling with drug addiction and a stepfather who had schizophrenia. He's spoken publicly about living in and out of women's shelters and the abuse he experienced, sharing a tragic story during a TEDx speech earlier this year about how he couldn't sit still in class because he was covered in lacerations after being beaten with an extension cord. Related: Garner is a mom of three, and her mother was an English teacher so she knows how valuable teachers are. A common refrain from Hale is that he wants to be the teacher he wishes he had as a child. "People knew what I was going through; it wasn't a secret," he said. "I needed someone to fight for me, and nobody did. ... I know for a fact that some of the brightest minds come from the darkest places. That's why I work where I work, and that's why I fight so hard for these kids." Yet his teaching career almost didn't happen. During Hale's first teaching job more than a decade ago, he clashed with the school principal, who he says didn't understand his hands-on, unconventional style of teaching. Hale has a DJ booth in his classroom and is known for his daily dance parties. When his probational teaching period ended, he wasn't invited back for a permanent position. Hale is the first Black man to win Teacher of the Year in Texas. (Courtesy Eric Hale) "I was young. I had my instrumental hip-hop music playing. I was just a lot different from a traditional teacher," he said. "She said, 'I don't think you're a good fit for education.'" Fortunately, his next stop was David G. Burnet Elementary School, where he still teaches today. This week marks Hale's first week back to in-person teaching with his students. He admits it's not ideal. Masks and social distancing are required and students are now restricted to their seats for dance parties. But it's better than nothing. "It's tough right now, but it's not tougher than the situations my kids go home to," he said. "So like anything else, I will adapt, and I will figure out the best way to reach those kids." Related video: For several weeks in March and April, Max Kennedy Jr., then 26, served on Jared Kushner's White House COVID-19 Supply Chain Task Force. Kennedy, who is Robert F. Kennedy's grandson, quit the task force in April. Soon after, he wrote an anonymous whistleblower complaint to Congress accusing the task force of corruption and ineptitude. According to Kennedy, most members of the task force were young, inexperienced volunteers "cold emailing" Chinese factories from their personal email accounts. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Video: Why the Strategic National Stockpile wasnt prepared for the pandemic When Max Kennedy Jr. volunteered to help out on Jared Kushner's White House COVID-19 Supply Chain Task Force, he thought he'd be helping out senior staff with rote tasks like data entry. "My old boss called me and said he heard Kushner's task force needed younger volunteers who had general skills and were willing to work seven days a week for no money," Kennedy, now 27, said in the forthcoming documentary about the Trump team's coronavirus response, "Totally Under Control." The film, which was made in secret over the past five months, is slated for on-demand release on October 13. Official poster for "Totally Under Control." Courtesy of Neon Despite his "apprehension" about working for the Trump administration, Kennedy volunteered because he felt like it was the right thing to do, he said. So Kennedy traveled to Washington, DC, and showed up at the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Once there, he said volunteers were led to Conference Room A, a windowless underground meeting space. TVs covered the walls, all blaring Fox News. After they sat down, Kennedy said representatives from FEMA and the military came in and gave them a "pep talk." The officials told volunteers they needed to procure "the stuff" for the US government Kennedy said they were referring to personal protective equipment, or PPE. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence at a meeting at FEMA headquarters on March 19. AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool Then the officials left, leaving Kennedy and the other volunteers. Slowly, they realized what was happening. Story continues "We thought we'd be auxiliary support for an existing procurement team," Kennedy, who is the grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, said in the film. "Instead, we were the team." Kennedy said he and a dozen inexperienced volunteers had become a core component of the US government's efforts to procure PPE. A severe shortage of PPE across the US Kushner formed the COVID-19 Supply Chain Task Force in March to address what had become a pressing issue: the US's severe shortage of PPE and other medical equipment. Already, hospitals in many regions were running out of masks and ventilators, and workers were making single-use masks last over several days. One surgeon in Fresno, California, told The New York Times it was like being "at war with no ammo." Pop-up signs on the lawn of the Capitol Building showing the faces of nurses and frontline healthcare workers pleading for adequate PPE on April 17. Paul Morigi/Getty Images for MoveOn There were multiple reasons for these shortages, including a lack of preparations by previous administrations many of the Strategic National Stockpile's 12 million N95 masks were expired, for instance. But in February, the Trump administration created the "CS China COVID Procurement Service," which existed partly to encourage American producers like 3M to sell their entire inventories of N95 masks to China. One month later, when American hospitals desperately needed N95 masks, they were forced to import them and pay up to 10 times more than the price that American producers would have charged, according to the documentary. Using personal email accounts to buy critical supplies For the rest of March and well into April, Kennedy sat in Conference Room A with the other volunteers, whom he said had no experience in supply chains or medical issues. With very little direction, the team members opened up their personal laptops and got to work, Kennedy said. "We started cold emailing people we knew who had business relationships in China, looking for factories online, and emailing them from our personal Gmail accounts," Kennedy said in the film. The group was also told to prioritize leads from "VIPs," which mostly consisted of well-connected and wealthy Trump supporters, BuzzFeed News and The New York Times previously reported. The task force kept track of such leads in a spreadsheet called "VIP Updates." One "VIP," the Silicon Valley engineer Yaron Oren-Pines, received a $69 million contract to provide 1,000 ventilators to New York state after he tweeted at the president, Business Insider previously reported. Oren-Pines never delivered, and the state has tried to get its money back. As the team worked, the TVs kept playing Fox News 24/7, Kennedy said, adding that he remembered the channel's coronavirus-death counter ticking steadily upward. Kennedy said nobody told the other volunteers how to buy PPE Buying PPE without any experience or advice turned out to be difficult, largely because Kennedy said he and the other volunteers had no idea how procurement worked, and nobody would tell them. Trump tours a Honeywell International Inc. factory on May 5 in Phoenix. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images "We would call factories and say, 'We think the federal government can send you a check in 60 days,' and they would say, 'There's someone with a briefcase of cash, and they're offering to pay me right now,'" he said in the film. "And we would run around the FEMA building looking for someone who could tell us what payment terms the government was allowed to offer, and no one ever told us." A week into their work, Kennedy said several government employees walked into Conference Room A and told the volunteers they had to sign nondisclosure agreements. They offered an ultimatum: Sign the NDAs, or leave the room immediately, according to Kennedy. "We all had built our own relationships with manufacturers, and it felt like if we walked away, it would negatively affect our ability to buy this critical, life-saving equipment. And so we all begrudgingly signed the NDA," he said in the film. Kennedy quit the task force in April. That month, he also broke his NDA, sending an anonymous complaint to Congress that said the task force was "falling short." "In my time on the task force, our team did not directly purchase a single mask," he said in the film. Kushner's program was mostly shut down in May, even though state governments and healthcare facilities were still experiencing critical shortages of PPE and ventilators. The White House didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment on the film or Kennedy's characterization of the task force. Read the original article on Business Insider (Bloomberg Opinion) -- The brutal experience of Covid-19s first wave humbled many rich countries where even generous health care systems were overwhelmed by an unfamiliar virus. Just as past outbreaks taught Asia hard truths about how to deal with pandemics, lessons from this novel coronavirus abound in the West: Italy has ramped up intensive-care capacity, France is paying health workers better and Spain is building a new pandemic hospital. Thanks to these and other efforts, national lockdowns are being portrayed as a one-off. Yet as cases surge again in Europe, strains on critical-care resources are leading to economic shutdowns on local and regional levels. Covid-19 patients fill more than a third of intensive-care beds in the Paris region. Its a similar story in Madrid. Blunt, lockdown-style measures the closure of bars, gyms and other businesses are being rolled out to slow case growth and hospital admissions. Even though the hospitalization rate is much lower than in the first wave, governments feel they have no alternative but to act now. Theyre worried about where that number will be in a month. Frances Institut Pasteur estimates 11,000 Covid patients could be in intensive care by November. Thats not only above the countrys maximum capacity in a pandemic emergency, but higher than the peak in April. Given hospital metrics feed into governments assessment of whether to take tough measures, theres frustration that so much focus is being put on deciding whether to shut bars or restaurants as opposed to expanding hospital capacity. According to Christophe Prudhomme, an emergency doctor in Paris, if France had structurally doubled bed capacity to 12,000 by now, the national Covid-19 occupancy rate would be around 10% a level requiring no extra lockdown measures and not 20%, which does. Are we shutting businesses when we should be building more beds? The question is more complex than it seems. Intensive-care beds dont always lend themselves well to cost-benefit analyses in the eyes of government officials. The daily cost of one can be anything from around 2,000 euros ($2,347) to more than double that, according to Rosanna Tarricone, associate professor of health care management at Bocconi University in Milan. You dont just need a mattress and medical equipment but the staff to operate it. And, crucially, its an outlay that may save lives but without countering Covid-19s spread. Story continues Policy makers therefore face a kind of Jevons Paradox, the phenomenon where more supply of a service can increase demand rather than reduce it. Building more beds without getting a grip on the pace of new infections would only serve to fill them up while doing nothing to tackle the core problem. And when epidemics subside, the pressure to cut costs falls on what are suddenly empty beds. Yet there are limits to strict efficiency analyses in these chaotic times. Governments have shown themselves capable of breaking all sorts of economic taboos, from subsidizing furloughed workers to joint borrowing at the European level. Dismissing hospitals as just another infrastructure white elephant looks extreme. One answer could be to better allocate hospital resources that already exist, rather than permanently increase them everywhere. During Covid-19s first wave, France used special trains to ship patients around the country, and even across the border to Germany and Luxembourg. Cross-border cooperation makes even more sense now, with some countries being hit hard, while others such as Italy or Germany fare much better. Philippe Juvin, head of emergency services at Pariss Europeen Georges-Pompidou Hospital, has proposed creating a European reserve of medical staff and resources that could be sent from less affected countries to those facing saturation. Another way to ease the strain on intensive-care units can involve reorganizing hospitals themselves. South Korea, which resisted Covid-19 lockdowns via extensive surveillance and testing, used its playbook from the 2015 MERS coronavirus outbreak to allocate patients based on symptom severity and bed availability. Patients were shared among community facilities, dedicated Covid-19 hospitals, and other locations. The community facilities, for instance, housed patients who reported their body temperature and any symptom changes using a mobile app or the telephone while they were there, making any on-site responses and eventual hospital transfer easier. This would require rethinking how resources are used in a way that doesnt come easily to Western countries that were spared deadly pandemics for decades. Its also not a substitute for preventative measures. Test-and-trace systems have approached the brink of collapse in several countries they could also do with European common standards and technology for contact-tracing apps, for example. Still, if ever there was a time to view health care as a benefit to society and the economy, rather than a drag on public finances, its now. If we want to learn to live with the virus, we should think about hospital beds, not just bars. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Lionel Laurent is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering the European Union and France. He worked previously at Reuters and Forbes. 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. Florida parents must prove their suffering after their children were massacred in cold blood at school, a judge ruled Thursday. The parents of Parkland, Fla., students sued the school district after Nikolas Cruz, then 19, murdered 17 students and staff and wounded 17 more at the south Florida high school in February 2018. The Broward School Board requested documented proof of mental health treatment as part of the case. That request angered many families, who questioned why they were being asked to prove that the largest school shooting in U.S. history was traumatic. But a judge ruled Thursday that the document request was valid, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported. Broward County circuit judge Patti Englander Henning said that both sides had agreed to a legal discovery period before trial, according to the Sun Sentinel. But she declined to rule on the specifics of which documents must be turned over, instead offering lawyers for both sides time to reach an agreement. Robert Kelly, a lawyer for one of the family members, told the Sun Sentinel that most cases require mental anguish to be proven by testimony, not psychiatric treatment documents. We are broken. We are suffering, Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was killed, said. The district does not need receipts on that. My daughter is in a cemetery. The Broward School Board has requested numerous other documents from grieving parents, including funeral expenses, tax returns showing lost income, accounts of every media interview the plaintiffs have done, copies of death certificates, medical records for the dead victims spanning five years prior to the shooting. The Florida Supreme Court ruled last month that the school district does not have to pay more than $300,000 in combined damages to the plaintiffs even as their attorneys continue to argue that each person is entitled to receive $200,000. 2020 New York Daily News Visit New York Daily News at www.nydailynews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 16:24:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Wednesday rejected accusations against China by U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, Kelly Craft, at the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly. The United States once again made groundless accusations against China, and abused the UN platform to spread rumors and provoke confrontation for the purpose of its domestic politics, said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations. "China firmly opposes and totally rejects the accusations." It is wrong, futile and irresponsible to discredit and blame China for the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. "China has contained the disease while in the United States, the number of confirmed cases has exceeded 7 million, and in the past few days, several dozen people in the White House have tested positive. China puts human lives first. With the death toll exceeding 210,000, the U.S. government owes its people an explanation for the world's top numbers of confirmed cases and deaths." Dai said Xinjiang enjoys social stability and prosperity, and people of all ethnic backgrounds there live together in harmony. There are 24,400 mosques in Xinjiang, 10 times more than in the United States. From 2010 to 2018, the Uyghur population in Xinjiang grew from 10.17 million to 12.71 million, an increase of more than 25 percent, 10 times that of the Han people, he said. "The so-called 'forced sterilization' is a sheer lie." When violent riots took place in Hong Kong last year, the parliament building was smashed, parliamentarians stabbed, people injured, and businesses paralyzed. The lives of ordinary people were in total chaos, said Dai. People in Hong Kong were deeply saddened. No sovereign country would sit idly under such circumstances. With the implementation of the national security law, 80 percent of local residents believe that Hong Kong is much safer, he added. Today's world is confronted with multiple challenges, and countries expect major powers to shoulder special responsibilities. The United States, however, opts for putting itself first, withdrawing from the World Health Organization at a critical time, intimidating and sanctioning other countries, and undermining multilateral cooperation, he said. The United States starts wars recklessly and imposes unilateral sanctions at will, causing hundreds of thousands of civilian casualties, said Dai. It disregards the financial difficulties of the United Nations and owes dues. The United States is pitching itself against the international community, and is quite often isolated in the Security Council, he said. The Chinese people have the best say about China's human rights situation, Dai said. The approval rate for the Chinese government is above 90 percent. No force can stop China's development and progress, he said. "We urge the United States to abandon the Cold War mentality and ideological bias, recognize the historical progress of human rights of the Chinese people, and stop spreading lies and 'political virus'." Enditem President Trump Thursday downplayed the evil of Osama bin-Laden Thursday, boasting that he ordered the killings of far bigger names than the 9/11 terror mastermind. The president bragged that he eliminated Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, whom he identified as the worst terrorist in 50 years." I killed al-Baghdadi, I killed Soleimani -- bigger names that Osama bin Laden, Trump said on Fox News. Al-Baghdadi founded ISIS. Soleimani was the worst terrorist in 50 years. I killed both of them. No one could find them until I came along, Trump added. Bin Laden infamously ordered the Sept. 11 terror attacks that killed about 3,000 Americans. His al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four planes and flew two into the World Trade Center in the most horrific terror attack ever on American soil. Although both al-Baghdadi and Soleimani were feared killers, neither posed anything like the lethal threat to Americans and especially New Yorkers that bin Laden did. Al-Baghdadi was the founder of the self-proclaimed Islamic State caliphate that seized large chunks of Iraq and Syria. He killed himself as American troops closed in on him last October. Soleimani was an Iranian Revolutionary Guard general blamed for directing Tehrans support for foreign groups, some of which are accused of terrorism. Trump ordered his assassination in a drone strike on Jan. 3. The tone deaf remarks about bin Laden comes as Trumps campaign seeks to claim he is a more muscular leader than Democrat Joe Biden. Vice President Mike Pence claimed during his debate with Kamala Harris that Biden opposed the raid that killed bin Laden. Biden actually advised President Obama to take additional steps to verify bin Ladens presence before launching the attack that killed the terrorist kingpin. 2020 New York Daily News Visit New York Daily News at www.nydailynews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. South Korea has launched an antitrust probe into Google over its plan to enforce its 30-percent Play Store commission by disallowing any apps circumventing its payment system South Korea has launched an antitrust probe into Google over its plan to enforce its 30-percent Play Store commission by disallowing any apps circumventing its payment system, a top official said Thursday. Google has always required apps offered on the Play Store's virtual shelves to use its payment system, which takes an industry-standard 30 percent cut -- the same as Apple does. The company has been lax about enforcing the rule, however, unlike Apple -- which is currently involved in a legal battle with the owners of the Fortnite game series after banning the app when developers allowed users to circumvent the payment system. The internet giant said last month the new policy -- set to take effect next year -- applies to fewer than three percent of developers with apps in the Play Store. But the announcement prompted a backlash from South Korean app developers, who say the new plan will allow Google to collect too high a fee. Joh Sung-wook, chairperson of the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC), on Thursday said Google's plan was being investigated for possible "anti-competitive practises". "Competition isn't working properly in the industry," she told lawmakers during a parliamentary audit. "We are searching for anti-competitive practices in order to restore competition." Joh's remarks came about a month after some South Korean tech companies, including its biggest internet portal Naver, filed a request asking for a government probe into Google's policy change. Google's Play Store held a 63.4 percent share of total app store sales in South Korea last year, followed by Apple's App Store at 24.4 percent, according to Korea Mobile Internet Business Association. cdl/slb/fox Dr. Andrea Maxim is a naturopathic doctor and the founder of MAXIMized Business. Shes also the creator of the MAXIMized Practitioner Method. Dr. Andrea Maxim . . Atlanta, Georgia , Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- One of the greatest challenges we see with health-based business owners is matching the desire to help people while at the same time making sure that your business also grows to a place that satisfies you and your family's lifestyle. Today, she helps health and wellness professionals understand how to grow their business in a way that makes sense, and give you back the freedom of time. By using a proven systemized approach and a quality foundation of smart marketing, youll both grow your income to multiple streams, reach your ideal patient/client, and stand out against the competition. Unfortunately, after coming out of any type of medical schooling, you realize that you were ONLY taught how not to harm people, but you werent ever educated on how to run or grow a successful practice. The problem with this is that while youre able to help people address their health issues, you may not have enough clients to be financially viable. Growing a practice can be a slow process. How do you become visible in a crowded world? Thats where Dr. Andrea Maxims MAXIMized Practitioner Method comes in. She teaches health and wellness professionals how to get past that barrier so that youre no longer leaving money on the table, and youre actually creating a business that offers you time freedom. This unique methodology teaches you the importance of Foundational Experience and shows you how to attract your favorite 100 patients/clients. It also shows you how to set up the right systems so your business runs on autopilot as much as possible, and finally how to use Modernized Marketing and your own unique solution to stand out on social media. When it came to business and family, Dr. Andrea Maxim knew what it was like to struggle while searching for the right balance. In a moment with her daughter asking When can I talk to mom where she wont yell at me again, it became crystal clear. She needed to shift her priorities away from always working and stress mom and focus on ways to make her business provide her the time and space to close her laptop at the end of a shift and be 100% present with her family. She has taken what she learned in her 10-years of practice, amplified her knowledge, and packaged it in a 3-step framework. This helps other practitioners expand their business growth with fewer headaches, stress, and overwhelm. Story continues Lets take a deeper look into the MAXIMized Practitioner Method and how it can help. The MAXIMized Practitioner Method is a step-by-step process that takes you through an easy to follow and understand the methodology. It helps you put into place a more hands-off way to bring in clients, earn more money, and bridge the gap between brick and mortar businesses and the visibility that the online world offers. It looks at paths to create income in multiple ways, such as building a course. With that in mind, lets break down a couple of ways this method can help. First, youll build a foundation. Its easy to jump past this and think that you dont need to follow the methodology given, but youd be making a big mistake. This first step will build a bridge to the other steps. Without a strong foundation, the system collapses. In this step, we look at the importance of using language that your client uses, not the fancy terminology that reflects what you do. You need to meet people where they are, and in a very basic way help them understand how you can help them. This first step is about getting in front of as many people as possible. The second step in the MAXIMized Practitioner Method is where youll learn about Business Essentials where we systemize everything in your business flow. Youll put the building blocks in place so that you can become more hands-off, and let the system do the work for you. Well tackle things like your personal branding with your unique solution (that we will help you create!), building your site, and understanding what speaks to your target audience. Youll create welcoming emails and an onboarding sequence, which means that when somebody signs up, things happen behind the scenes where youll set it once, then it becomes an automatic process that works for you. It will help you automate everything from bookings to reception scripts. Once its all in alignment, the system does the work for you. That means the funnel allows you to warm up your lead, and then convert them to clients. From there, there are other means in a place where you can upsell and earn more. The third step of the process shows you how to grow your business with Modernized Marketing. Youve already learned how to target your ideal patient/client, you have a system in place to work for you to allow for massive growth, now what? Youll amplify the message via channels where youll stand out, doing the things that other wellness practitioners are too afraid to use. Youll learn about the types of messaging that will draw people to you, and how to use methods other people dont, so you can be heard above the noise. Well also cover how to work with ads that can bring you leads for less than $0.05. The MAXIMized Practitioner Method was built for you. It was eye-opening to finish her schooling and realize that while they taught her one thing, without the other component, learning to market herself, that business wouldnt simply fall into your lap. Its not discussed, and too many students graduate without the information they need to grow their business. What good is it to be able to help people if you cant reach them and draw them into your practice? Dr. Andrea Maxim and her MAXIMized Practitioner Method can help you finally put those two elements together so you can live the life you want while running the business you need. Company name: MAXIMized Business Website: www.maximizedbusiness.ca Instagram: @andreamaximnd Podcast: Profitable Practice Podcast (iTunes, Podbean, Stitcher) Attachment CONTACT: support@maximizeyourclinic.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-02 00:37:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close An airport worker sprays disinfectant on passengers entering the Damascus International Airport in Damascus, Syria, Oct. 1, 2020. Damascus International Airport reopened for commercial flights on Thursday after months of closure as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua) DAMASCUS, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Damascus International Airport reopened for commercial flights on Thursday after months of closure as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. People arrived at the airport to embark on the first flight to Cairo, Egypt, as the Syrian Aviation Company has taken precautions against the COVID-19 pandemic. Airport workers, wearing masks and some of them wearing protective overalls, were spraying disinfectants on the luggage of the passengers. The passengers were also sprayed with detergents as they proceeded to the customs. Bassem Mansour, the head of the Syrian Civil Aviation, told reporters that measures were taken against the COVID-19 based on international standards. All measures have been taken in accordance with a protocol put forward by the Syrian Civil Aviation in coordination with the civil aviation companies based on the instructions of the International Civil Aviation Organization and the World Health Organization, he said. During the airport closure, the Syrian airlines organized several flights to bring back Syrians stranded abroad as a result of the COVID-19. People in Daejeon wait outside a health clinic for COVID-19 testing on Thursday. Yonhap By Kim Se-jeong Korea's daily COVID-19 total was 69 on Wednesday, returning to double digits after spiking over 100 the previous day. While many people began showing relief that more mass infections following the Chuseok holiday may no longer be a worry, several medical experts, including Dr. Kim Woo-joo from Korea University Guro Hospital in Seoul, said infections linked to the holiday have started and will continue. "The seed has been planted for a quiet spread of the virus during the five-day long weekend," Kim said, adding that daily case totals will increase in the coming days. "An average incubation period for COVID-19 is five days and it will take another seven to 10 days for people to take the test and get the result." The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) Thursday confirmed new COVID-19 cases involving seven family members, including children, in Daejeon. They all traveled to a family burial site in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province, on Oct. 1 and met other family members. Authorities said the seven confirmed patients had close contact with at least 300 people after they returned to Daejeon. More Chuseok-related cases have been linked to a village in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province. So far, 12 cases have been confirmed, but the number is expected to rise. An outdoor wedding reception was held in the village just before Chuseok. Epidemiologists suspect the virus spread among 55 family members and neighbors who attended the party and further during the holiday. The local quarantine authorities ordered a lockdown of the village earlier this week. Infection was confirmed in a woman in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, after she spent time with visiting family during the Chuseok holiday. One other relative also tested positive on Wednesday. The virus spread is expected to continue this weekend as anti-government groups prepare for another round of protests at Gwanghwamun in Seoul on Friday, which is Hangeul Day. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday it was considering ordering subway operators to skip stations near the protest sites City Hall Station on lines 1 and 2, Gwanghwamun Station on Line 5 and Gyeongbokgung Station on Line 3. "We're considering having subways skip these stations and shutting down all subway entrances," Seoul city official Park Yoo-mi said. The same measure was taken on Oct. 3. The quarantine authorities also said they will announce a new set of COVID-19 restrictions on Sunday. The special Chuseok holiday social distancing rules will expire on the day. Speaking to lawmakers, Health Minister Park Neung-hoo vowed to come up with new quarantine measures to minimize the economic impact on people. Misr International Films, New Century Production and Synergy Films release trailer for new thriller 'The Black Box' Misr International Films, New Century Production and Synergy Films released the trailer for their new thriller 'The Black Box'. Written and directed by Mahmoud Kamel, this new thriller is based on a script by both Ahmed El Dahan and Haytham El Dahan. The film stars Mona Zaki, Mohamed Farrag, Mostafa Khater, Sherif Salama, and Asmaa Galal. 'The Black Box' marks Zaki's comeback to the silver screen after nearly a four-year absence. According to a brief provided by the film's marketing agent 'Mad Solutions', in 'The Black Box' Zaki plays the role of Yasmine. The brief read "Yasmine, finds her house subjected to a burglary by two armed strangers on a mission to steal something highly important; she desperately contrives a plan to run away, but her plan goes to no avail. Will she be able to survive this stressful night?" Earlier this week, the producers had revealed the film's teaser poster which features Zaki with bruises on her face and a fearful look in her eyes. The Black Box is scheduled for release in Egyptian cinemas across the country on 28, October. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Search Keywords: Short link: 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. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Fierce clashes take place along Artsakh-Azerbaijan contact line, particularly in the southern direction, ARMENPRESS reports representative of the Defense Ministry of Armenia Artsrun Hovhannisyan said in a press conference. Starting from morning the Azerbaijani armed forces resumed attacks both in the north and south. The Armenian side inflicted heavy manpower and military equipment losses on the enemy, repelling them to their initial positions. At this moment particularly fierce clashes are taking place in the southern direction, Hovhannisyan said, adding that the clashes take place all day long. Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey , unleashed war against Artsakh on September 27. Turkey, in addition to various types of assistance to Azerbaijan, including using Turkish air force against Artsakh and Armenia, has also deployed thousands of mercenaries and terrorists from Syria in Azerbaijan to fight against Artsakh. So far the Armenian side has reported 350 casualties among the military and 21 civilians, Azerbaijans manpower losses are nearly 4000, which includes both servicemen from the regular Azerbaijani army and terrorists. President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan called for an new coalition against international terrorism on October 6. The Armenian side has reported 350 military casualties and 21 civilians. Azerbaijans manpower losses is over 4.000, which includes both regular army servicemen and jihadist terrorists. The Azerbaijani side has also lost 16 helicopters, 17 warplanes, 496 armored vehicle, 145 UAVs and 4 TOS 1 Heavy Flamethrower System. Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 17:21:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Hesham Azmy (C), head of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Culture, speaks at a seminar held to celebrate the cultural exchange between Egypt and China in Cairo, Egypt, Oct. 7, 2020. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) CAIRO, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's Supreme Council of Culture held late on Wednesday a seminar to celebrate the cultural exchange between Egypt and China. Dubbed "Egypt and China," the seminar was attended by Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang, and Hesham Azmy, head of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Culture, as well as Magdy Amer, a former Egyptian ambassador to China, and a number of other officials from the two countries. "The bilateral relations between China and Egypt have developed rapidly," Liao said in his speech during the seminar, noting the leaders of the two countries have worked together to map out a blueprint for joint development, bringing the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to the world, but "the pragmatic cooperation between" China and Egypt "in various fields including the cultural exchange has not stalled over the pandemic," the Chinese ambassador said. During the pandemic, symphony orchestras from China and Egypt jointly presented a wonderful online concert to the audience of the two countries, Liao told the seminar, adding the China Cultural Center in Cairo also held online lectures and exhibitions through social media. Meanwhile, Secretary-General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Culture Hesham Azmy noted the seminar comes as the Chinese people celebrate the 71st anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The seminar reflects the depth of the relationship between the two countries and the communication between their peoples, Azmy said. The Sino-Egyptian relations have witnessed a remarkable development since the two countries elevated their bilateral ties to the level of the comprehensive strategic partnership in 2014. Both hope to boost their friendship through the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, which has promoted a deeper understanding between the two countries and woken up the ancient civilization in the new era. Enditem The Eiffel Tower was illuminated green when the historic Paris Agreement was sealed in November 2015. - Reuters British and EU negotiators have moved closer to enshrining the Paris Agreement on climate change in the new Brexit free trade deal. Either side can cancel the free trade agreement if the other reneges on their 2015 promise to limit global temperatures to 1.5 degrees, under the terms of the potential breakthrough. In March, Britain called for a climate agreement separate from the free trade deal that would affirm support for Paris. The UK is now ready to hardwire respect for the Paris Agreement into the draft trade deal, sources on both sides said as negotiators met in London. There is disagreement over whether the Paris commitment should be enshrined in the provisions of the deal, the UKs latest position, or the agreements essential elements, where it would sit alongside rules forbidding crimes against humanity. If put in the essential elements, the whole trade deal could be suspended as punishment if either side leaves the UN accord. If the commitment is the provisions, the punishment would be the triggering of dispute resolution procedures. EU sources claimed UK negotiators were preparing to give in to their demands for Paris to be in the essential elements chapter of the deal. We dont expect this to be a problem to resolve, an EU official said. UK sources said there were still differences over how to reflect the climate commitment. EU diplomats accused the UK of being reluctant to enshrine their UN climate commitments into the trade deal before the details of the mooted compromise emerged. That angered UK sources, who insist Britains commitment to the deal has never wavered. The UK currently holds the presidency of the COP, the decision-making body for the Paris Agreement, and was the first major economy to pass a law to cut net carbon emissions to zero by 2050. We have been clear from the start of negotiations that our future trading relationship with the EU should reaffirm both sides commitment to tackling climate change, a UK government official said. Story continues While a landing zone appears in sight, David Frost said on Wednesday that the EU might be being a bit overambitious in what it has tried to get Britain to commit to on standards in the treaty. The EU, and particularly France, insists on the upholding of Paris in its new trade deals and commitments to it are part of the blocs agreements with Canada and Japan. The clause is seen as necessary to shore up the Paris deal after Donald Trump pulled the US out of the agreement. EU sources said it was needed to prevent other non-EU countries using the British example to avoid making similar commitments and to bolster support for EU climate action among recalcitrant member states. "If the UK and the EU have agreed to put the respect for the Paris climate agreement at the heart of their trade deal, that's good news," said John Sauven, Greenpeace UK's executive director. "This should be the bare minimum in any trade deals the UK and EU do with each other or with other countries." Momentum behind the trade deal appears to be building. On Wednesday, the UK signalled a potential compromise on subsidy law and Michel Barnier urged member states to be open to compromise on fish. Negotiators are also close to sealing a guillotine clause agreement which would cut off British access to EU criminal databases and a new extradition treaty if the UK leaves the European Convention on Human Rights. There still remains a huge amount of work to bridge gaps on fishing, level playing field guarantees, especially state aid, and the enforcement of the trade deal. EU diplomatic sources said this morning that it was unlikely that a free trade agreement would be ready by Boris Johnsons deadline of the October 15 EU summit. UK sources say they only need to see the shape of the deal by that date. Brussels sources said that if enough progress was made in the next seven days, EU leaders could urge further intensified negotiations leading up to the end of October, which is the blocs deadline for the deal. Michel Barnier did not explicitly rule out an October 15 deal during talks with EU ambassadors last night but he does not expect one, a diplomatic source said. The chief negotiator will update EU ambassadors and EU Europe ministers on progress ahead of the European Council summit. Another EU diplomat said the leaders would expect sufficient progress, which was possible on the level playing field guarantees and fishing but problematic on enforcement because it was so detailed. Charles Michel, the European Council President, said. 'Progress has been made but its not enough. This is the moment of truth. Clement Beune, Frances Europe Minister, warned, Our fishermen will not be a bargaining chip for Brexit, they will not have to pay the price for Britains choices. Perhaps movement on two of the three areas will be enough for leaders, the diplomat said, but without governance being agreed in the end there wont be a deal. The Government confirmed that EU-bound lorry drivers would have to apply for a Kent Access Permit or face 300 fines for crossing the county line. It announced plans for up to ten lorry parks in Birmingham, Warrington and Essex, to cope with Brexit border chaos. Dr William Foege, who received a the Presidential Medal of Freedom, penned a letter asking current CDC director to speak against Trump administration on coronavirus (AFP via Getty Images) A former director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who led the eradication of smallpox has asked the current CDC head to reveal the United States failings amid the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. William Foege, an epidemiologist who served under both Repibublican and Democrat presidents, sent a private letter to CDC Director Dr Robert Redfield last month about the Trump administrations failings handling the novel virus, according to USA Today. In the letter, Dr Foege asked the CDC head to expose the presidents mishandlings of the virus, even if it meant getting fired. Dear Bob, I start each day thinking about the terrible burden you bear, the letter began. As I have indicated to you before, resigning is a one-day story and you will be replaced. If Dr Redfield stayed silent, Dr Foege said, then the White House would simply blame you for the disaster. You could upfront, acknowledge the tragedy of responding poorly, apologize for what has happened and your role in acquiescing, Dr Foege wrote. Dont shy away from the fact this has been an unacceptable toll on our country. It is a slaughter and not just a political dispute. The letter concluded with Dr Foege detailing the benefits the current CDC director would experience if he spoke out and allowed the Trump administration to fire him. When they fire you, he concluded, this will be a multi-week story and you can hold your head high. That will take exceptional courage on your part. I cant tell you what to do except to revisit your religious beliefs and ask yourself what is right. Dr Foege has worked in the field of epidemiology for more than half a century. His work includes credit for devising the global strategy for the eradication of smallpox in the 1970s and increasing immunization rates in the 1980s. Dr Redfield, in comparison, had limited experience running a public health agency before his appointment as director of the CDC by President Donald Trump in 2018. He previously was an HIV/AIDS expert and former military physician. Story continues The CDC has not responded to questions on if Dr Redfield ever responded to the private letter. A White House spokesperson said in a statement: "This dishonest narrative that the media and Democrats have created that politics is influencing decisions is not only false but is a danger to the American public. When speaking to USA Today, Dr Foege said his intentions with the letter were not for it to ever be made public, as it could become a political burden for Dr Redfield, Going public can only embarrass him and it doesn't allow him to redeem himself, Dr Foege said when explaining his motivations to pen a private letter instead of going public. By doing this privately, he has a chance to do the right thing. Dr Foege was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2012 for his work as an epidemiologist and CDC director. Read more Trump returns to Oval Office but team wont say if he wore mask Rudy Giuliani spotted maskless at fundraiser after coughing on TV Trump special treatment raises fairness issues AOC slams Trump for axing Covid relief talks Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 8) The central bank has banned two bankers who issued fake documents that contributed to the $2.1-billion (about 104 billion) Wirecard scandal. Covered are an employee of BDO Unibank and another from the Bank of the Philippine Islands who were found to have falsified bank certificates to the German firm's auditor about a supposed trust account holding Wirecard's money, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said Thursday. "The BSP has completed the process for disqualification and inclusion in the BSP's watch list file of the names of those involved in the falsification of documents. As a result, these people will be disqualified from entering the banking system," Diokno said in a media briefing. These sanctions are allowed under BSP's manual of regulations, meant to preserve the integrity of the financial system. READ: PH reputation unharmed by Wirecard scandal BSP The disqualification was based on incident reports submitted by the two lenders about the case, which was exposed in June. BDO said earlier that it fired a marketing officer upon discovery that the employee issued a fake bank certificate about Wirecard's money. Days later, BPI said it has also suspended an assistant manager for a similar document that vouched for the inexistent trust account of Wirecard AG to its external auditor, Ernst & Young Germany. The central bank is waiting for the Anti-Money Laundering Council to finish its probe into local ties of the global scandal. "Were awaiting the result of said investigation for us to be able to determine whether further actions are needed before we can close this matter," BSP Deputy Governor Chuchi Fonacier said in a text message. BPI and BDO Unibank both denied that they had a business relationship with the German payments company and that they did not hold any of missing cash. The BSP later on said that none of the supposedly missing funds entered the financial system. Wirecard later on admitted that the account balances likely did not exist. The e-payments firm has since filed for insolvency in Munich. Wirecard's sacked chief executive officer Markus Braun has been arrested in Germany for suspected accounting fraud following the expose which revealed that the firm could have been padding its financial statements, particularly transaction volumes in Asia, to make it attractive to more investors. RELATED: Mastercard and Visa reportedly reconsidering their relationship with Wirecard following accounting scandal The Kuwaiti parliament today Thursday in unison rubber-stamped the choice of the deputy head of the National Guard Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad as crown prince chosen by new Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, reports say. Sheikh Nawaf named Sheikh Meshal Wednesday to fill in the position after he himself took the seat of Emir last week after the death of his brother Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah died on 29 September in the US. The 80-year old new Crown Prince is viewed as a close ally of the leader and previously led the countrys intelligence services. In separate appointment, Octogenarian Sheikh Meshal, a brother of the late emir, became deputy head of the National Guard in 2004 and previously served as head of State Security for 13 years, Middle East Monitor reports. But, if 2020 has taught us anything, its that businesses of all kinds have got to find ways to pivot in order to say alive, said Scott Mayerowitz, executive editorial director of the travel news site The Points Guy. If you asked me last year if a series of airport spas where people went to relax and escape the stress of travel would be offering medical services in a year, I would have laughed. But now it feels like a smart business move. 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. Living 30 miles apart in Los Angeles County, Hong Lee and Esther Lim never crossed paths. Lee is from the South Bay and works as a supervisor at an affordable housing company while parenting two young boys with her husband. Lim is quarantining with her Korean immigrant parents at their home in Monterey Park, and commutes to Orange County to manage production at a surfwear company. Then in August, something happened to Lee that intertwined the two women's lives. On a lunch break, Lee drove to her favorite Mexican restaurant in Pico-Union. While standing in line at the counter, a male customer handed her a business card and asked to have lunch together. When she told him she was married and turned him down, the man's face grew stormy. He began to hurl sexist and racist insults at Lee, who is Vietnamese American. Lee fumbled with her phone to film the interaction. As she pleaded with employees and other customers to intervene, the man yelled that they should tell her to "go back to f***ing Asia." After a few minutes of ranting and pacing, the man left. Lee, by then sobbing, called 911. About a half hour later, an LAPD police officer walked through the door, and Lee asked to file a report. "He informed me, 'No, there's no police report because there's no crime here and nothing happened,'" Lee recalled. Lee couldn't believe that... was it. "I have never felt so alone, just mortified that this could be happening in August of 2020," Lee said. With the police ignoring her ordeal, Lee felt the only way she could be heard was to post the video online. Within hours, a post she made on Instagram had gone viral, and viewers flooded her with messages from all over the world. Buried in the heap was a note from Esther Lim. 'CAN YOU STAY NEXT TO ME UNTIL IT'S SAFE?' The number of reported verbal and physical attacks on Asian Americans has surged past 2,500 during a pandemic that President Trump has repeatedly blamed on the Chinese. In March, a man knifed a Burmese family at a Sam's Club in Midland, Tex. allegedly because he thought they were Chinese. In July, an 89-year-old woman in New York was set on fire by teenagers. That same month in California, a tech CEO was recorded at a Carmel restaurant yelling at an Asian American family that "Trump's gonna f*** you" and "you f***ing Asian piece of sh**!" After Trump was hospitalized last week for a virus he has labeled "Kung Flu" and the "plague" from China. This week in a video he posted to social media, Trump looked into the camera and told Americans: "It wasn't your fault that this happened. It was China's fault and they're going to pay a big price for what they've done to this country." From early on, Trump has repeatedly downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic, as well as the advice of health experts intended to prevent U.S. infections. Since the president himself contracted covid, some Republicans took the opportunity to deflect blame again. Remember: China gave this virus to our President @realDonaldTrump and First Lady @FLOTUS. WE MUST HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. Kelly Loeffler (@KLoeffler) October 2, 2020 Esther Lim had already been feeling discouraged that in September, 164 House Republicans rejected a federal resolution with a sole purpose of condemning anti-Asian hate. Then came Trump's announcement that he had gotten sick, intensifying Lim's fears that Asian Americans, especially older immigrants like her 60-something parents, would be targeted by racists. "When I think about my parents' battle just to be accepted as an American here, it hits my core because my parents already went through this before," Lim said. Lim, 31, was resigned to the fact that she can't stop racism itself, so she sought a way to protect victims, especially immigrants who may not know what resources are at their disposal. A few months ago, she settled on an idea: Creating a handbook that she would title "How to Report a Hate Crime." In her free time, Lim researched the logistics behind reporting hate incidents, studying definitions from the United Nations and consulting the detective heading up LAPD's hate crime investigations. Want to report an incident to authorities? Dial LA County's 2-1-1 social services hotline. Want to be anonymous? Call CrimeStoppers. Need help but not fluent in English? Lim included useful phrases that victims of hate crimes could read -- or point to should they have her booklet on them -- like: "Someone is following me. Can you stay next to me until it's safe?" And there were safety tips, like carrying a whistle and not going out alone if possible. With assistance from bilingual family and friends, Lim had the booklets translated into Chinese, Japanese and Korean and made them available online. Friends and relatives helped Esther Lim translate her manuals into Chinese, Japanese and Korean. (Photo by Cameron Odon) Lim spent a couple of thousand dollars designing and having hundreds of booklets printed to hand out to older people who don't use computers. Given high printing costs, Lim started to look for government and non-profit partners. She got the attention of Terri Villa-McDowell, who oversees the county's L.A. Versus Hate campaign which uses social media to encourage people to recognize and report hate incidents. Launched by the county a year ago, the initiative has made a concerted effort to add Asian languages to its shareable graphics and include communities like Torrance, which has had several high-profile instances of anti-Asian harassment. Villa-McDowell felt that Lim's booklets would be widely-available in Asian communities, where hate crimes are underreported. "She uses a very common-sense approach," Villa-McDowell said. "It really needs to get out there into the community, particularly the monolingual-speaking community." Villa-McDowell said her program doesn't have the money to print Lim's booklets, so she's been trying to help Lim find philanthropists, which has been difficult in the pandemic. "You talk to funders and what they're saying is 'we have so overcommitted every dollar for food and keeping people housed,'" Villa-McDowell said. Esther Lim reached out to Hong Lee after learning that police did not initially take a police report. (Photo by Cameron Oden) That's led Lim to sharpen her focus on getting her booklets shared on social media so users might print them out for elders. Then on August 10, Lim saw the video that Hong Lee posted of her verbal assault at the Mexican restaurant. Given her new-found expertise, Lim knew the attack was without a doubt a hate incident. She got on her phone to tap out a message to Lee. 'SHE WAS TRYING TO ADVOCATE FOR ME' A couple days later, Lee saw the message from Lim, who had gently asked to connect her with law enforcement, knowing from the Instagram post that the responding officer had brushed her off. Lee agreed, and this time was contacted by LAPD Det. Orlando Martinez, the same person who helped Lim with her booklets. Martinez made a point of going to Lee's home to take the police report. "I went out there to meet with her to apologize and to thank her for giving us another chance," Martinez said. After she filed the police report, an investigation into the alleged perpetrator was opened. Other women who heard about Lee's run-in with the man from the local news have since stepped forward to make reports of similar interactions with him. Martinez says Lee's case has also helped to spur extra training for police on hate incidents, including a video and handouts to be given to officers when they gather for orders at roll call. "I wrote a new training that -- during the month of October -- every patrol officer in the city will hear," Martinez said. At the county level, Villa-McDowell said Lee's incident reinforced that more work needs to be done with businesses -- the site of many reported hate incidents -- perhaps by providing training to employees on how to deal with racist customers. In the meantime, Lee has started to speak out at public events about her experience, like at an anti-hate rally at MacArthur Park last month. Since her racist encounter in August, Hong Lee (r.) has started speaking out about her experience at public events. (Photo courtesy of L.A. Versus Hate) Young people have also been messaging her for advice on bullies targeting them for being Asian. "It's just awful to hear these stories," Lee said. "We didn't cause the virus. We didn't bring it here. We didn't contribute to it yet. We're paying the ultimate price because of the way we look." Lee, who said she was always the shy kid in the back of the class, credits Lim with setting her on this new path: "She was trying to advocate for me and for that I'm very grateful." Says Lim: "It's so good to see (Lee's) bringing light into the situation our communities are facing." The two women have yet to meet in person but text regularly. Lee has referred people seeking to report hate incidents to Lim and also shares her anti-hate booklets on social media. Lim, meanwhile, keeps trying to expand the reach of her booklets and is next working on a Spanish-language version for Latino seniors. Lim said this is what she should be doing as a child of immigrants. "The second generation has to now protect the older generation," Lim said. WE LOVE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS Australians have always had a curious attitude to their favourite biscuits. Eating them is not enough. We have to play with them. Long before someone thought to bite off the corners of a Tim Tam to slurp coffee up the centre, millions of Aussie children squeezed thin yellow and black worms out of two SAOs sandwiched together with butter and vegemite. Made from seven layers of flaky pastry to give them that light bubbly texture, SAOs were once Australias favourite biscuit. 525 million were sold annually in the early 1980s, dropping right back to 190 million at the beginning of this centuryas the Tim Tam revved up in popularity. Arnotts started as a small bakery in Newcastle in 1865. By 1906, when the first SAO came off the production line, the biscuits with the famous Rosella on the packet were no longer handmade but factory-produced. Many of Arnotts delicious products have become more than food legends, theyve become Aussie icons. The Tim Tam, the Iced VoVo, Shapes, Tiny Teddies and, of course, SAO. Yes, the humble SAO was a household name. But stories persisted abou t its own name. One of the most enduring of all rumours is that the word SAO comes from the initials for Salvation Army Officer. There are several variations on this theme, including Salvation Army Order and Serve and Obey. Whether truth or fiction, one thing is certain: the then twenty one year old manager of the Forest Lodge factory, Arthur Smith Arnott, walked in one morning with a Salvo jacket on to the bewilderment of the staff. It was 1893 and the previous evening Arthur had dined with a Salvation Army friend and then went onto a Salvation Army Open Air meeting. The meeting was in St Leonards Park, North Sydney. At that meeting Arthur made that life changing decision to become a follower of the Lord Jesus, just as his father, William Arnott had done many years before. Salvation Army He wore the Salvation Army uniform to work and started Bible study and prayer meetings with the workers. For the next five years Arthurs musical ability, cheery demeanour and his intense love for souls and winning personality made him a special at the Corps in New South Wales. The call on his life to work only for the Salvation Army was so strong and after much deliberation he entered the Mens Training Home, Victoria in 1898. Eventually he rose to Colonel and for thirty three years Arthur organised and led the popular Young Peoples Demonstrations in the Melbourne Exhibition Hall with a 1,000 children on the stage. It is said that Arthur never drew an allowance of more than a shilling a year as he was supported by the Arnott family. Workers at the time remember the Army had a standing order for the SAO biscuit and some think the letters stood for Salvation Army Order. He was noted for his zeal and tact as a soul winner and his ability to raise money. In 1909 Arthur was appointed to raise funds for the advancement of the Salvation Army work, which included acquisition of numerous buildings, halls and institutions. Arthurs specialised in Childrens work and his happy songs that he wrote were sung all around the world. He told the children It is impossible to sing and grumble at the same time. But it is quite natural to sing and pray and rejoice all at once. An article by Major Adelaide Ah Kow in the United Kingdom edition of War Cry gives Arthur the title of The Singing Warrior. His cheery irrepressible demeanour won him friends around the world While the exact truth is lost, almost everyone agrees that the name was in some way a tribute to Arthur Arnott or his involvement with the Salvation Army. Today the Arnott Foundation supports projects including Camp Quality, Food Bank, Driver Reviver and Fairy Sparkle. Annie Hamilton www.diduno.info Addressing the event in Hanoi, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam emphasised that the normalisation of Vietnam-US diplomatic relations was an important decision of the countries leaders, which closed a period full of difficulties and heralded a promising era. The Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership has been developing extensively and substantively, from politics-diplomacy, economy-trade and defence-security to science-technology, health care and education. Bilateral trade has increased 170-fold since 1995 to approximate US$80 billion. Meanwhile, people-to-people exchange is increasingly vibrant, according to him. The official described cooperation in different fields as an important bridge for building and consolidating trust, goodwill and durable friendship between the two countries. He highlighted Vietnams consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, and diversification and mulilateralisation of diplomatic relations, noting that the country considers the US a partner of leading importance in its foreign policy. This year, when Vietnam is serving as the ASEAN Chair and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021, the two sides have coordinated closely in issues of common concern at regional and international forums, Dam said, adding that they have also been working with the international community to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and other emerging global challenges. On this occasion, he also appreciated contributions by generations of leaders, politicians, organisations and individuals of Vietnam and the US to bilateral connections. He stressed that Vietnam will keep joining the US in expanding and intensifying their bilateral comprehensive partnership, thereby making effective and practical contributions to the countries development as well as regional and global peace, stability and development. At the ceremony, US Ambassador Daniel J. Kritenbrink described his countrys relations with Vietnam as impressive, noting that they have been cooperating closely with each other in all aspects, from security, trade, education and post-war issues to energy and healthcare. Besides, the rapidly growing trade ties and US businesses increasing investment in Vietnam have generated numerous economic achievements for both sides. The US remains one of the biggest export destinations of Vietnam, which in turn is among the markets with fastest growth of imports from the US, he said. The diplomat held that both countries have the responsibility of continuing to develop their relations based on mutual trust and friendship, expressing his wish that bilateral ties will keep flourishing in the time to come. Russias Business Ombudsman proposes extension of support of SMEs for next few months RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 17:23 08/10/2020 MOSCOW, October 8 (RAPSI) Russias Government needs to select industries affected by the pandemic not by micromanagement on the basis of the National Classifier of Types of Economic Activity, but proceeding from tax reports, Business Rights Commissioner Boris Titov believes. Earlier, the World Bank has put in question the policies pursued by Russias Government as to the support of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) amid the pandemic. The World Bank observed that this support was too generous. World Bank experts noted that taking into account the fact that under sanctions introduced with respect to Russia the growing debt burden of the national budget may become too heavy to bear; therefore, the scarce resources allocated to aid enterprises needed to be prioritized on those businesses that could drive the economy after the coronavirus crisis, like exporters, innovators, and so on. Titov, in turn, is of the opinion that all the effort needs to be focused on propping up of consumer demand as it is rather social than economic issue. The Business Ombudsman believes that the debt burden in Russia is relatively light, so the measure is feasible. At the same time he thinks the Government needs to change its approach as to the support provided to enterprises by automatically extending the support measures introduced this summer and determine those entitled to aid proceeding from the decline in proceeds registered over the last quarter at 30% or more. Nicola Sturgeon made the u-turn at Holyrood, leading to confusion for businesses - JEFF J MITCHELL/AFP Nicola Sturgeons hospitality shutdown has descended into chaos hours before it is due to come into force after her government failed to define which eateries were able to stay open if they stopped serving alcohol. The First Minister offered a last-minute reprieve to licensed cafes in the Central Belt on Thursday, saying they could stay open if they did not sell alcoholic drinks, but failed to define which outlets would be deemed 'cafes', 'restaurants' or 'bars'. This prompted confusion across the industry, with desperate business owners questioning whether their outlets were cafes and allowed to stay open or restaurants and therefore must shut for 16 days at 6pm this evening. Pub owners serving food also questioned why the exemption could not be extended to them if they operated on a dry basis. The confusion deepened on Thursday night after Jason Leitch, Scotland's national clinical director, said it would be up to council environmental health officers to decide and enforce the rules, contradicting Ms Sturgeon's statement only hours earlier when she said a "specific exemption" for cafes would be set out in regulations. He was then contradicted by Scottish Government officials, who said the difference between cafes and restaurants would be defined in the new regulations. We have 32 different councils. Is that 32 different interpretations of cafe? And then interpretation from officer to officer within an area? Do my clients need to stock up on sandwiches and cakes to stay open? Parliament must surely take ownership of this Stephen McGowan (@LicensingLaws) October 8, 2020 Steven McGowan, Partner and Head of Licensing for Scotland at law firm TLT, said that if a definition for cafe was not set in law it would lead to absolute carnage across the country with the fates of businesses decided by the subjective view of a council officer. Story continues He added: My sincere best wishes to the parliamentary draftspeople tasked with creating a definition [for cafe] in law. In a matter of hours. With thousands of businesses biting their nails. There is no separate classification for cafes and restaurants under licensing law. Under planning law, cafes and restaurants are treated under the same class. The exact definition of what is meant by a cafe is therefore critical. The turmoil has fuelled growing criticism of the First Minister over recent days for failing to consult with businesses before setting out plans. The firms affected by her clampdown were also still waiting for answers on the eve of the clampdown over how a 40m funding package would be distributed. Meanwhile, Lord Forsyth, the Tory peer and former Scottish Secretary, urged businesses to take legal action against the Scottish Government over the new rules, which he described as completely out of proportion and devastating for the businesses concerned. Stephen Montgomery, a spokesman for the Scottish Hospitality Group, said: The problem in Scotland is one licence fits all. So any rules have to apply equally to everybody. If youve got a cafe, and a pub next door, the virus doesnt understand what is a pub and what is a cafe. So if her main aim was to give a shirt, sharp, shock to the virus, where do you draw the line?" Paul Waterson of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association said businesses were "really confused" about the First Ministers statement and accused her of a "complete turnaround". He added: "Weve spoken to lawyers today and theyre confused too. There is absolutely no definition of who can open and who cant now. Stephen Montgomery, of the Scottish Hospitality Group - Stuart Nicol/Stuart Nicol Photography "This is peoples livelihoods, businesses are hanging by a thread, and in one sentence its all changed. We werent consulted and we never saw it coming. Ms Sturgeon revealed the exemption for licensed cafes at First Ministers Questions. She was responding to Jackie Baillie, the Scottish Labour deputy leader, who said cafes in her constituency would have been forced to close despite drinks being a only tiny part of their business. The First Minister said regulations, to be published on Friday, will include a specific exemption for cafes and that these will be able to open, whether they are licensed or unlicensed, as long as they do not serve alcohol. On Wednesday, Ms Sturgeon said all licensed venues across the Central Belt would have to close from Friday. In the rest of the country, they will be allowed to open only from 6am to 6pm indoors. Alcohol can only be served outdoors, up to 10pm. James Withers, the chief executive of Scottish Food and Drink, said the problems with the cafe loophole could have been easily foreseen had businesses been consulted. Ive got a headache, and Im not trying to run a hospitality business, Im just trying to find the answers, he said. Imagine if youre a licensed cafe in the Central Belt, youve just told all your staff to take the next two weeks off, youve cancelled all your food and drink orders, then find out you need to bring the staff back on the rota and make the orders. Its incredibly confusing and an avoidable problem. And now you face the question, when is a restaurant a cafe and when is a cafe a restaurant? We need a common sense approach which is if licensed cafes can operate, just not serve alcohol, that should be translated across to licensed restaurants as well. There is no such thing as a licensed cafe. https://t.co/XN9rlY6bcq The SLTA (@SLTAssociation) October 8, 2020 Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Tom Kitchin, the leading Scottish chef, accused the Scottish Government of throwing fireballs at the sector despite it going to great lengths to follow guidelines. Having to completely shut for 16 days, as we do in the central belt, is hard to comprehend, he said. At first it was emotional, then that turned to anger: why are they picking on us? Asked to explain the difference between a restaurant and a cafe on Thursday night, Mr Leitch said: "Local authority environmental health officers will have to make those judgements. Some of it will be obvious, at either end of the spectrum, and some of it will be a little bit more difficult. "These decisions are not binary, they're not simple choices, and this is just another example of a complex decision-making process to get us to the point where we need the virus suppressed". Later, Scottish Government officials said the regulations would set out the difference after all. A spokeswoman said: "The temporary restrictions on hospitality, supported by 40 million of funding, are essential to curb transmission of the virus, particularly in the Central Belt. However, as the First Minister has set out, we are allowing a very limited exception to this so that cafes can open during the day to allow socialising for those who may suffer from social isolation or who may live alone, while still reducing transmission. Camper fire claims the life of two people in Marshall County FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Hurricane Delta has dropped to a Category 1 storm with sustained winds of 85 mph, according to the National Hurricane Centers 5 p.m. advisory. But Delta is growing and is expected to regain strength tonight and Thursday as it moves across the southern and central Gulf of Mexico. Its still projected to make landfall Friday in Louisiana as a Category 2 storm. The majority of (Deltas impact) at this point looks like itll be in the Lake Charles area, and then a little bit into our area, said meteorologist Tim Destri of the National Weather Service New Orleans/Baton Rouge office. Delta should restrengthen Wednesday night and Thursday over the warm waters of the southern Gulf of Mexico. Delta could become a Category 3 hurricane with 115 mph winds by Friday morning, according to The Weather Channel. Tropical-storm-force winds could arrive Thursday to the U.S. Gulf Coast, which is preparing for Deltas projected Friday landfall . The college football game between Louisiana State University (LSU) and Missouri scheduled for 9 p.m. Saturday in Baton Rouge, La., has been moved to Columbia, Mo. The game will kickoff at noon Saturday. Many New Orleans-area high school football games have also been moved from their usual Friday night dates to Wednesday and Thursday. The New Orleans Saints are reportedly thinking of moving their Monday Night Football game against the Los Angeles Chargers to Indianapolis, if necessary. Destri said Hurricane Delta is still expected to grow in intensity and size because its over warm water. How much larger, it remains to be seen, he said. It also remains to be seen whether gas prices or, for those up north, heating oil prices, will be affected by Hurricane Delta. Numerous oil rigs are in the Gulf of Mexico between Texas and Louisiana and numerous refineries are in those states. I can only speak speculatively based on history, said Paul Courreges, communication director for the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, and whenever you have a disruption you generally tend to see those prices rise. Story continues But Courreges said its tough to say anything for certain because the U.S. dependence on crude oil from the Gulf of Mexico has declined in recent years due to fracking, extracting oil and gas from deep underground, and increased production in Texas Permian Basin, located in the Odessa-Midland area. David Dismukes, professor and executive director at LSUs Center for Energy Studies, said 30 to 40% of U.S. oil refineries are in Deltas projected path. But he said supply is high right now and prices are soft due to reduced demand as a result of COVID-19. Dismukes said if oil rigs are shut down by Delta the U.S. could simply import more crude oil. If the refinery gets torn up you do have some more lasting impact on domestic markets, he said. But Courreges and Dismukes said its doubtful Hurricane Delta will make a big impact on gas prices. Regardless, Delta is expected to have serious consequences. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said life-threatening storm surge and damaging winds (are) increasingly likely along portions of the northern Gulf Coast beginning Friday. A storm surge watch was put in effect Wednesday for an area ranging from High Island, Texas, to the Alabama-Florida border. A hurricane watch is in effect for an area ranging from High Island to Grand Isle, Louisiana, and a tropical storm watch is in effect for areas in Texas and Louisiana. A storm surge watch, according to the NHC means there is a possibility of life- threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline, in the indicated locations during the next 48 hours. A hurricane watch, according to the hurricane center, means hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area usually within 48 hours. The hurricane center says a tropical storm watch means tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours. The center of Delta made landfall at about 5:30 a.m. Wednesday along the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, near Puerto Morelos, as Category 2 storm, according to the hurricane center. As of 5 p.m. Delta the earliest 25th-named storm ever to form was located about 55 miles north-northeast of Progreso, Mexico, traveling northwest at 17 mph. Delta is no longer projected to strengthen to Category 4. Louisiana, Mississippi and a sliver of southeast Texas remain in the forecast path. The track shifted away from Floridas Panhandle on Tuesday night. In addition to life-threatening storm surge and dangerous winds, Delta is expected to inundate the region with up to 8 inches of rain, and up to 1 foot in isolated amounts along the northern Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi Valley, creating the potential for flash flooding and river flooding, according to the hurricane center. Conditions could be conducive for prolonged flooding in the region. Delta is the strongest storm ever named after a letter in the Greek alphabet, eclipsing Hurricane Beta in 2005, which reached 115 mph. Delta underwent rapid intensification Tuesday, which is defined as an increase of maximum sustained winds by at least 35 mph in a 24-hour period. In 36 hours, Delta went from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane. Delta is the fastest storm to intensify from tropical depression to a Category 4 storm in modern records, said Michael Ventrice, meteorological scientist for The Weather Company. Delta beat Hurricane Keith (2000) by six hours for most rapid intensification. The storm-weary Gulf Coast is in the cone of concern for the sixth time in the 2020 hurricane season. Louisiana and Alabama have already declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm. Delta is a relatively small storm with hurricane-force-winds extending 35 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds 125 miles from the center, according to Wednesdays latest advisory. Even though an eyewall replacement cycle might prevent Delta from getting much stronger, its increase in size could increase the wind field. Its probably going to be anywhere from 20 to 30% larger, said Michael Ventrice, a meteorological scientist at The Weather Company, and this typically results in an expansion of the wind field compared to what it is as a smaller hurricane and a smaller eye. This has been a busy hurricane season with nine named storms making landfall in the U.S., which ties the record number established in 1916. Beta became the first storm named after a letter of the Greek alphabet to make landfall in the continental U.S. when it came ashore near Port OConnor, Texas on Sept. 21. The Gulf Coast was hit twice in September. In addition, to Beta, Hurricane Sally made landfall on Sept. 16 near Gulf Shores, Ala. In late August, the region was pummeled in a 72-hour period by Hurricane Laura and Tropical Storm Marco. Laura came ashore in coastal Louisiana at Category 4 strength. Marco, which had briefly been a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, made landfall as a tropical storm near the mouth of the Mississippi River. Hurricane Hanna made landfall in southern Texas in late July. And Tropical Storm Cristobal made a second landfall on the Louisiana coast on June 7. October storms often threaten Florida as they move north and then northeastward. But none of the nine storms that hit the continental U.S. this year made landfall in Florida. Delta broke the record for the earliest 25th named storm ever to form, eclipsing the previous mark of Nov. 15, 2005, when Tropical Storm Gamma briefly formed in the Caribbean Sea. If Delta maintains its current forecast track, it would break a record by becoming the 10th named storm in a hurricane season to make landfall in the continental U.S. It would also be the first-ever hurricane named after a Greek letter to strike the U.S., according to AccuWeather. Delta is also chasing the record 2005 hurricane season, which had 27 named storms. In that year there were 14 named hurricanes and seven major hurricanes three of which (Katrina, Rita and Wilma) reached Category 5 status. On Dec. 30, 2005, Tropical Storm Zeta formed as the 28th named storm of the year, setting the all-time record. After Delta, the next storms would be named Epsilon, Zeta and Eta. 2020 Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) Visit the Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) at www.sun-sentinel.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. WATCH: William hopes Earthshot Prize will drive decade of change Bedtime can be a difficult time for parents. Persuading children to go to bed is no easy feat, and it turns out being a royal doesnt change that. Prince William revealed he uses documentaries by Sir David Attenborough to corral his three kids and convince them it will be time to go to sleep soon. Speaking to Radio 4s Today programme, he said his children were jealous about all the time he has spent with Sir David, particularly as he prepared to launch the Earthshot Prize. He said: Last night we started watching one of Davids newest documentaries, and its amazing, at bedtime, when I can corral the children, I just shout were going to watch one of Davids documentaries and they come herding in. Its the easiest way to catch my children and get them ready for bedtime. Read more: Prince William says George and Charlotte are 'as cheeky as each other' The interview, which was pre-recorded at Kensington Palace, marked the launch of the Nobel-style Earthshot prize, which the Duke of Cambridge has been working on for two years. The prize will award 50 million over the course of 10 years to projects which help solve key global problems. Sir David Attenborough has helped Prince William put the prize together. (Royal Foundation) While his children are big fans of Sir David, and recently joined in asking the TV veteran questions about animals, William admitted one of the documentaries had upset Prince George. The seven-year-old told his dad: I dont want to watch this any more. William explained: The most recent one the extinction one actually George and I had to turn it off, we got so sad about it halfway through. He said to me you know I dont want to watch this any more. Why has it come to this and you know hes seven years old and hes asking me these questions already, he really feels it, and I think every seven-year-old out there can relate to that. Read more: Prince William launches 50m prize fund to repair the planet Prince George asked Sir David which animal he thought might become extinct next in a video released by Kensington Palace last week. Story continues Sir David recalled a story in which warning the world about the declining numbers of mountain gorillas led to action to save them and said he hoped no other animal would go into extinction. WATCH: William launches Nobel-style Earthshot prize KYODO NEWS - Oct 8, 2020 - 14:50 | Japan, All Japan will consider fresh measures against stalking by GPS after the nation's top court ruled in July such activity does not violate the existing anti-stalking law, police said Thursday. The National Police Agency said it will set up a panel of experts on Friday to study revision of the law regulating stalking to better protect victims. The panel is expected to compile a proposal on the issue by the end of January, according to the agency. The Supreme Court ruling said as the current anti-stalking law only bans monitoring victims around certain locations, such as their residences and workplaces, securing location information remotely does not infringe on the legislation. The top court decision covered two cases in which victims were monitored by GPS. In one, the defendant searched for a victim more than 600 times over a period of around 10 months. A perpetrator usually plants a GPS device on a target's car. The anti-stalking law enacted in 2000 has been revised twice to cover wider offences, including those involving social media, but it has no specific regulations over the use of GPS. Offenders face a prison term of up to two years or a fine of up to 2 million yen ($19,000). The six-member panel includes legal studies professors, a lawyer and Kenichi Ino, 70, whose daughter Shiori was killed aged 21 in a high-profile stalking case in 1999. Before the Supreme Court decision, police across the country had taken action in a total of 59 cases of GPS monitoring of stalking victims since 2014, according to the NPA. The police currently lend security cameras to stalking victims for installation at their homes and plan to also offer dashcams from next fiscal year starting April to help collect evidence. In 2019, police nationwide dealt with a total of 20,912 consultations over suspected stalking, topping 20,000 for the seventh consecutive year, and took action in 2,355 of the cases. "We have to take necessary steps, given the fact that there are (stalking) victims who feel insecure," a senior agency official said. Related coverage: Domestic violence cases in Japan reach new all-time high in 2019 Sex crimes remain significantly underreported in Japan: gov't survey Its ultra-red appearance as Pence sat opposite Sen. Kamala Harris raised many watchers eyebrows. Health experts are questioning if the redness noted in the left eye of Vice President Mike Pence is a sign of possible infection of coronavirus. Dr. Tara C. Smith, an infectious disease doctor and professor, wondered on Twitter, Why is Pences eye so red? Up to 30% of COVID-positive patients have reported conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye. The appearance of Vice President Mike Pences bloodshot left eye while he participated in his debate against Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris made many of its watchers wonder if he has COVID-19. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) One of the more difficult aspects of the current novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is keeping track of potential new symptoms and links to other conditions, reports the Cleveland Clinic, which recommended health measures for the first presidential debate. Case in point: a new study that shows a potential overlap between coronavirus and eye conditions like conjunctivitis, more commonly known as pink eye. The number of COVID-19 patients that have been reported to have eye symptoms is relatively low. And when you have a population that small, its really hard to get a picture of the story because we just dont have as many data points, optometrist Alexandra Williamson, OD, told the clinic. Read More: Biden trolls Pence with fly swatter after viral debate moment #PinkEyePence is trending on Twitter, along with #PenceFly, a reference to the two minutes when a large black fly sat perched on the head of the vice president as he spoke about racial justice during Tuesday nights debate with challenger Sen. Kamala Harris. Social media users are questioning if Pence is COVID-19 positive, as he has been in close contact with President Donald Trump, who has been diagnosed with the virus. Read More: Trump vows not to participate in virtual debate with Biden The vice presidential debate was held in person, with the candidates separated by plexiglass and more than 12 feet. The plexiglass shields were required by the Biden-Harris campaign. After some negotiation, the Trump-Pence campaign agreed to have a shield around the vice president as well. Story continues The barriers were only one part of a layered approach of transmission prevention for the two candidates. Both Harris and Pence were also tested for COVID-19, and they did not shake hands. Further, everyone in the debate hall, except for the candidates and the moderator, was required to wear masks. Have you subscribed to theGrios Dear Culture podcast? Download our newest episodes now! TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. Download theGrio.today! The post Pences bloodshot eye during vice presidential debate causes concern appeared first on TheGrio. Directed by David Cronenberg, the sci-fi horror film starred Goldblum as eccentric scientist Seth Brundle, who starts to transform into a fly in an experiment gone horribly wrong. The Jurassic Park actor did not return to play the fly later in the franchise, but thanks to Pences new fuzzy friend, he might get a second chance to re-create his performance on the small screen. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty ImagesSpike Lee is still processing the loss of Chadwick Boseman. Boseman, who died in August from stage 4 colon cancer at age 43, starred in Lee's Vietnam vet Netflix film, Da 5 Bloods. Lee tells Variety that looking back, he had no clue that Boseman was suffering. "He did not look well, but my mind never took that he had cancer," Lee said, before adding that "it was a very strenuous shoot." "It was 100 degrees every day," he continues. "It was also at that time the worst air pollution in the world." Lee says because of the terrible conditions he could "understand why Chadwick didn't tell [him]" about his illness. "Because he didn't want me to take it easy," he said. "If I had known, I wouldn't have made him do the stuff. And I respect him for that." Lee says he recently rewatched Da 5 Bloods with his wife Tonya, and admits the film "plays totally different" now that Boseman has passed. In fact, he notes the part in the film where Boseman's character, Stormin' Norman, is shown in angelic white light. Lee said he "felt it" as he was shooting the scene. "It was God's heavenly light," he explained. "We didn't have light. You know, Delroy [Lindo] is talking to the camera, talking about his conversation with God. We go up, and we come down and we find this heavenly light. It's Chadwick standing in that light, in that pose. That was God up there. I don't care what nobody says. That was God's heavenly light, because that scene's not lit. That's natural light. And that was God sending heavenly light on Chadwick." "I mean it was hard to look at the film again for me since his transition. It is just a whole nother experience," Lee adds. By Candice Williams Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. International Conference Celebrating the 55th Anniversary of The Nguzo Saba (The Seven Principles) A wide range of Black scholars, activists, teachers, students and community members from the national and global African community will join in discussions of critical issues confronting Black people nationally and internationally which begins this Sunday, October 11, 3:00pm at the virtual International Nguzo Saba 2020 Conference and will continue over the month. The conference marks the 55th Anniversary of The Nguzo Saba (The Seven Principles), the Organization Us and the African American Cultural Center. Focus will be especially on the Nguzo Saba and their use by thousands of organizations and institutions in this country and throughout the world African community for value orientation, cultural grounding and programmatic initiatives. Held every five years, this years conference theme is 55 Years of Unbudging Blackness: Nguzo Saba, African Principles for Life, Work and Struggle and includes engaging the Nguzo Saba in the context of the fifty-five year history and significant impact of the Organization Us on Black intellectual, creative and political culture. Also, panel discussions and presentations will demonstrate the many ways The Nguzo Saba (The Seven Principles) are used to build and strengthen Black families, communities and culture and celebrate Kwanzaa. Also, the conference will offer forums for dialogue on such topics as pan-Africanism, political empowerment and voting; police violence and reimagining public safety, quality education, ethnic studies requirement, healthcare, housing and gentrification, mass incarceration, economic empowerment, reparations, community building, climate change, Kawaida philosophy, organizing for social change and other topics relative to the lived experience, critical initiatives and struggles of the Black community. ADVERTISEMENT The highlight of the conference will be an opening Roundtable Discussion on October 11th on critical issues facing the national and global African community. It will include activist scholars and leaders: Dr. Molefi Kete Asante, Professor and Chair, Department of Africology and African American Studies, Temple University; Founder/President, The Molefi Kete Asante Institute; Dr. Maulana Karenga, Professor and Chair, Department of Africana Studies, Cal State Long Beach; Executive Director, African American Cultural Center; Chair, Us; Creator of Kwanzaa and Nguzo Saba, (Moderator); Dr. Yaa Ashantewaa Ngidi, Director, Institute of Afrikology, Durban, S.A.; Dr. Patricia Reid-Merritt, Distinguished Professor, Department of Africana Studies and Social Work, Richard Stockton College, Pomona, NJ; Founder/Artistic Director, Afro-Dance One; Dr. LaFrancis Rodgers, CEO International Black Womens Congress; Sociologist; Former Professor of African American Studies, Princeton University; Hon. Dr. Shirley Weber, Assemblymember, CA 79th District; Author of AB 1460 (Ethnic Studies Requirement); AB 3121 (Reparations); Former Professor and Chair, Department of Africana Studies, San Diego State University; and Dr. Cornel West, Professor of the Practice of Public Philosophy, Harvard Divinity School and the Department of African and African American Studies, Harvard University. The Nguzo Saba (The Seven Principles) were conceived and developed 55 years ago in 1965 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor and chair of the Department of Africana Studies, California State University, Long Beach, executive director of the African American Cultural Center and chair of The Organization Us and the National Association of Kawaida Organizations. The Nguzo Saba in Swahili and English are Umoja (Unity), Kijichagulia (Self-determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity) and Imani (Faith). These values are most widely known as the core values of the African American and pan-African holiday of Kwanzaa which is a celebration of family, community and culture. Over the last fifty five years these Seven Principles have been increasingly embraced by African peoples in the United States, on the continent and throughout the global African community. An internet search using the Nguzo Saba or any of the principles brings up hundreds of thousands of entries ranging from scholarly articles and research projects, to names of organizations, institutions and individuals. The Nguzo Saba have demonstrated practical usefulness in such varied areas as educational curricula, rites of passage and other youth programs, family and male/female relations, spirituality and ethics, economic development, political organization, creative production, principles of organizing and, physical and psychological well-being, as well as African-centered value grounding by people in their daily lives. For more information please contact the African American Cultural Center at 323.299.6124 or visit www.AfricanAmericanCulturalCenter-LA.org 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. (This October 6 story corrects to use full name of Wolfe City in all references) By Nathan Layne (Reuters) - A Texas prosecutor said he will have a grand jury weigh whether to indict a white police officer charged with murdering a 31-year-old Black man, the latest shooting to trigger unrest over police brutality and racism in the United States. Wolfe City Police officer Shaun Lucas has been charged with murder by the Texas Rangers, which are investigating the Oct. 3 shooting of Jonathan Price outside of a gas station in Wolfe City, a small city about 70 miles (113 km) northeast of Dallas. A lawyer for Lucas said his client shot Price because Price resisted his instructions and tried to take his Taser gun. Hunt County District Attorney Noble Walker said that based on the evidence he had seen, he planned to take the case to the grand jury to consider indicting Lucas once the Texas Rangers complete their probe. Lucas was called to a disturbance and sought to detain Price, who resisted in "a non-threatening posture" and began walking away when Lucas shocked him with his Taser and then shot him with his gun, according to a statement by the Texas Department of Public Safety. Price later died at a hospital. Lucas, 22, was arrested on Monday and remains in jail on a $1 million bond. His attorney, Richard Rogers, said Price did not appear to be an "uninvolved, innocent party" when Lucas arrived at the scene and resisted efforts to detain him. "Officer Lucas only discharged his weapon in accordance with Texas law when he was confronted with an aggressive assailant who was attempting to take his taser," Rogers said in an emailed statement. Wolfe City, with a population of 1,500, could become the latest flashpoint in a national uprising over racism and police brutality set off by the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. "We've never had a case like this here in Hunt County," Walker told Reuters. Story continues Dominique Alexander, president of Next Generation Action Network, a Dallas activist group, said 300 to 400 people attended a vigil on Monday night close to where Price was shot. Dozens of demonstrators also gathered in Los Angeles and New York City, according to media reports. "Everyone in this community will echo that this shouldn't have happened to Jonathan, because of the character that he had," civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who is representing the Price family, told a news conference on Monday. "However, this shouldn't happen to anybody and it happens far too often to unarmed Black men, particularly in North Texas." Alexander, who is helping advocate for Price's family, said Wolfe City's mayor told the family there is body cam footage, as well as video from the gas station and a nearby fire station. Alexander said Price had been trying to stop a man from striking a woman when Lucas arrived and mistook him for the instigator. He said Price had been working for the city in a maintenance job and was a pillar of his community and a standout athlete. One of Price's friends, former Boston Red Sox infielder Will Middlebrooks, started an online fundraising drive that has so far raised more than $90,000 in donations. "Jonathan was a hometown hero. Somebody that everyone knew," Alexander said. (Reporting by Nathan Layne in Wilton, Conn.; Editing by Matthew Lewis, David Gregorio and Leslie Adler) 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. ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty ImagesBy ELIZABETH THOMAS, ABC News (WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump on Thursday attacked Sen. Kamala Harris as "a monster" the day after the vice presidential debate. "This monster that was on stage with Mike Pence, who destroyed her last night by the way, but this monster, she says no no there wont be fracking, everything she said is a lie," Trump said in an interview with Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo. He went on to call her "horrible, totally unlikeable, and, falsely, a communist." This is not the first time the president has launched baseless attacks against Harris since she became the Democratic vice presidential candidate. He's called her "incompetent," a "super liberal," and has painted a dark picture to his supporters of a what would happen if Harris had to take over as president. At a September rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Trump fabricated a White House conversation where a President Joe Biden was forced to sign documents he didn't understand. He mimicked Biden saying: "I'm getting tired. I'd like to rest. I'd like to let Kamala take over as president!" "That's no way to get into the office, because we're going to have a woman president someday, but you know what? It can't be Kamala," Trump said. "Never!" a person in the crowd screamed. Harris' team declined to comment on Trumps monster comment Thursday morning. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 02:25:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close The Marine One carrying U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Oct. 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) White House physician Sean Conley said that President Donald Trump's "physical exam and vital signs, including oxygen saturation and respiratory rate, all remain stable and in normal range." WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump, who is recovering from COVID-19 at the White House, has been "symptom-free for over 24 hours," his doctor said on Wednesday. In a new memo on the president's condition, White House physician Sean Conley wrote that "his physical exam and vital signs, including oxygen saturation and respiratory rate, all remain stable and in normal range." "He's now been fever-free for more than 4 days, symptom-free for over 24 hours, and has not needed nor received any supplemental oxygen since initial hospitalization," the doctor disclosed. He also said Trump's lab results from Monday "demonstrated detectable levels" of COVID-19 antibodies. The president tested positive for the virus on Oct. 1 and was later admitted to a military hospital for treatment. He returned to the White House on Monday. Camper fire claims the life of two people in Marshall County Samsung Electronics headquarters' front entrance in Seoul. / Yonhao By Kim Hyun-bin Samsung plans to strengthen regulations on providing internal business projects to its affiliates by establishing an additional line of approval for all of these that are worth over 5 billion won. The group's independent compliance committee will now be in charge of approving the internal business proposals after a review. The committee was established to ensure the company abided by the law in its management decisions. Seven affiliates of Samsung Samsung Electronics, Samsung C&T, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Samsung SDI, Samsung SDS and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the committee in February and will be required to abide by the new regulation. The issue regarding the detailed allocation of business deals to its affiliates was discussed at the committee's monthly meeting Thursday. The regulation comes as a way to comply with the government's initiatives to strengthen regulations on internal group trading. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) proposed a bill to create stricter regulations regarding corporate intra-group activities, which is currently under legislative review. According to the current Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act, if an owner family holds a stake over 30 percent in an affiliate and if an internal transaction exceeds 12 percent of the company's total sales, they are subject to a Fair Trade Commission (FTC) inspection. However, the DPK-revised bill reduces the owner stake to 20 percent. A conglomerate's dealings with its own affiliates has been seen as a means to provide substantial profits and utilized as a means to bolster the owner family's control over the affiliate. FTC chief Cho Sung-wook said recently that conglomerates such as Samsung and SK have been providing their affiliates with internal business deals to increase their profitability; but added "there are soon to be meaningful actions" that will be announced on the issue. In the case of Samsung, the group's distribution and data processing is handled by Samsung SDS. According to the industry, Samsung SDS's annual sales comes to 10.72 trillion won and among this 84.8 percent was obtained through the conglomerate. Currently, Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong is a major shareholder of Samsung SDS with a 9.2 percent stake, followed by his sisters, Hotel Shilla CEO Lee Boo-jin and Samsung Welfare Foundation Chairwoman Lee Seo-hyun with 3.9 percent each. If Samsung SDS increases internal sales it will also automatically strengthen the owner family's control over the firm. If Samsung is found to have illegally conducted internal transactions, the company could be fined and it could lead to a prosecution investigation which would drag in large shareholders of the firm. To prevent this, Samsung has reduced the possibility of violating the law with the company needing to receive approval from both the independent compliance committee and the board of directors to initiate intra-group business deals worth over 5 billion won, where other conglomerates only go through the board of directors. Since 2016, Vice Chairman Lee has been embroiled in a corruption scandal involving former President Park Geun-hye, and has become more cautious about violating government regulations. Lee has given substantial power to the compliance committee and even set up a hotline for its executives. However, some critics said the committee was established just for show to please the government as its criminal investigation of a controversial 2015 merger that cemented Lee's control over the group is still ongoing. "From a legal standpoint there are no violations in current internal trading by Samsung. There will just be an additional approval procedure but there will be no problems that will come from the current structure," an industry official familiar with the matter said. "Most of Samsung's intra-group business is worth over 5 billion won, so most of the projects will go through an independent compliance committee review." Four suspects were Tuesday arraigned in court for receiving over Sh55 million through M-Pesa from unidentified people in South Africa. The four Kenyans; Adan Noor, Ibrahim Mohammed, Warsame Abdi, and Mohammed Hussein pleaded not guilty to a charge of acquisition of proceeds of crime. The Nairobi court heard that the suspects received the sums of money, with others not before the court, between January 1, 2019, and August 31, 2019. A charge sheet indicated that the money was wired through 13 Safaricom lines which were all registered. The prosecution asked the court to consider the seriousness of the offense before releasing the suspects on bail. Nairobi Principal Magistrate Kennedy Cheruiyot rejected the prosecutions request and released the four on cash bail of Sh100,000 or Sh1 million bond each. 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. Russian gets 19 years behind bars for murder of Great Patriotic War veteran flickr.com/ Andreas Eldh 12:50 08/10/2020 MOSCOW, October 8 (RAPSI) A court in Russias town of Ryazan has sentenced a 21-year local citizen to 19 years in penal colony for killing a veteran of the Great Patriotic War and his wife, according to a statement of the Investigative Committees press service. The court found that the accused Maxim Kuprin was in want of money, entered the pensioners apartment under the pretext of household goods sales and killed the victims. After the murder, the defendant stole money and other assets of the spouses worth about 18,000 rubles ($230) and left the scene. The victims bodies were found by their relatives the same evening. Initially, Kuprin denied his involvement in the crime but lated confessed. Lee Seong-ho, a director at the Bank of Korea's financial statistics division, speaks during an online press conference at the bank's headquarters in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Bank of Korea By Lee Min-hyung - Carlo Aquino greeted his daughter, Enola Mithi, on social media as she turned 1 month old - The actor got emotional because he could not be with baby Enola during her milestone - The celebrity dad shared that he is already missing the hugs and smell of his super cute newborn baby - Fortunately, Carlo promised his daughter that he will come home soon and spend more quality time with her PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Carlo Aquino (Photo from Flickr) Source: UGC Carlo Aquino took to social media to greet his daughter, Enola Mithi, as she turned 1 month old. KAMI learned that Carlo got emotional because he could not be with baby Enola during her milestone. According to the actor, he is already missing the hugs and smell of his super cute newborn baby. However, he promised his daughter that he will come home soon and spend more quality time with her. He did not explain why he had to be away but netizens presumed that it was because he was working on a new showbiz project. PAY ATTENTION: Shop with KAMI! The best offers and discounts on the market, product reviews and feedback Happy 1 month anak.. Sorry tatay cant make it. Miss ko na amoy at yakap mo. Konti na lang uuwi na ako. Suot mo lang yan PPE para safe ka palagi, Carlo posted on Instagram. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Carlo Aquino is a famous actor and endorser in the Philippines. Some of his recent films include Isa Pa With Feelings, Ulan, and Exes Baggage. The actor had a high-profile relationship with actress Angelica Panganiban but is now in a relationship with Trina Candaza. On September 13, Carlo shared a close-up photo of his baby with Trina. Netizens got shocked that the actor is now a father and they expressed how cute the baby is. It was only last year when Carlo confirmed his relationship with Trina. It can be recalled that before Carlo dated Trina, he received a lot of criticisms after he was labeled paasa to his ex-girlfriend, Angelica Panganiban. Please like and share our amazing Facebook posts to support the KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinions about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts and views on different matters! Source: KAMI.com.gh Real estate investors from Houston are experiencing difficult times thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. Although property values remain stable, the rental market has changed dramatically. Investors with rental properties are struggling to fill vacancies at a time when many are unemployed. Many investors have tenants who can't pay their rent and eviction moratoriums are preventing them from turning over their units. On top of these new challenges, landlords still have to deal with all the usual landlord duties. For many, it's overwhelming and they're turning to property management companies for help. Landlords need help managing new challenges Being a landlord has always been challenging. It's not easy filling vacancies, collecting rent, performing repairs, and managing relationships with tenants. However, in light of the COVID-19 crisis, landlords are facing a new set of challenges. The main challenge stems from eviction moratoriums, two of which have been federally enacted. The first moratorium only applied to federally funded housing, but the second moratorium applies to just about everyone and is in effect until the end of 2020. Protection under this order applies only to coronavirus-related inability to pay rent and is based on income; renters are protected if they received an economic impact payment through the CARES act. An estimated 40 million people will be protected by this order. Here's how Houston property management companies are helping landlords manage these new challenges. 1. Relieving administrative burden Managing a rental property requires plenty of administrative work from running background checks on applicants to providing rent receipts and documenting emergency repairs in individual tenant files. All of these tasks can quickly become an overwhelming burden. Houston landlords who are trying to find ways to mitigate their financial losses from the pandemic don't have time for administrative work; having a secretary or personal assistant isn't enough. Landlords need a full team of people to manage every aspect of being a landlord. While a property management company handles all the standard landlord duties, property investors have time to explore additional investment opportunities to recoup some of their losses from unpaid rent. 2. Managing evictions according to the law Property management companies know Houston's eviction laws inside and out. That includes the new rules governing eviction moratoriums. For landlords who have never had to deal with an eviction, the process is time-consuming, frustrating, and the chances of making a mistake are huge. By managing evictions for landlords during this time, property management companies are making sure every law is followed to the letter. Since some tenants are covered by the eviction moratorium through the end of 2020, property management companies know exactly how to find out (and verify) who is covered and who isn't without violating the law. Since evictions unrelated to the coronavirus are still legal, tenants can be evicted for things like property damage, creating a nuisance, and various lease violations. Perhaps the most important task property management companies are doing for Houston landlords is making sure to provide the eviction protection application with every legal eviction. The Texas Supreme Court ruled that all Texans facing eviction must be provided with information on how to get protection from eviction under the moratorium. It doesn't matter if the tenant qualifies for protection or not - the information must be provided. 3. Making and following up with payment arrangements Although many are covered by the eviction moratorium, they will still owe back rent at the end of 2020 when the moratorium ends. Many landlords are allowing tenants to pay a discounted monthly rent, while others are entering into payment arrangement agreements with their tenants. No matter what kind of modifications are made to the rental agreement, property management companies are helping landlords by negotiating, revising contracts, and following up with tenants to collect on new payment arrangements. 4. Making lease modifications With permission from the landlord, property management companies are making lease modifications for tenants wherever necessary. For instance, tenants who can't make rent are being allowed to sublet a room where it was previously prohibited. This allows the landlord to collect at least some rent as opposed to none. Other lease modifications include allowing pets and increasing the occupancy limit (while staying within state requirements). Some tenants are asking friends or family to move in to help pay rent, and for those who can only afford partial rent, it's a good deal. Some of those people have pets; property management companies make it legal by making modifications to the lease. Houston landlords need all the help they can get Property investors who didn't mind performing landlord duties are now experiencing the benefits of outsourcing those duties to a property management company. In light of the rapidly changing and overwhelming state of the COVID-19 pandemic, all landlords would be wise to follow suit. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Oct. 29, 2020 A new Gallup analysis of the evolution of President Donald Trump's job approval rating over the course of 2020 shows significant declines among some of the demographic groups that helped him win the election four years ago. While Trump began the year with his personal best ratings following his impeachment acquittal, the coronavirus pandemic, the economic downturn that it caused and heightened nationwide racial tensions all likely contributed to this erosion in approval. Approval is now further below the majority level among suburbanites nationwide (and among both suburban men and suburban women); it's also lower now among residents of the Southwest, Great Lakes and Rocky Mountain regions -- all of whom helped Trump win in 2016. A number of groups that did not support Trump in 2016 -- including non-White adults, younger adults and LGBTQ adults -- disapprove of his job performance even more now than they did in early 2020. The demographic groups registering the lowest approval ratings of Trump include Democrats, liberals, Black adults, non-White older adults, and LGBTQ Americans. Still, the president maintains majority-level approval ratings among his base, including Republicans, conservatives, rural residents, White men and White adults without a college degree. Read the full analysis here: Suburbanites Show One of Largest Drops in Trump Approval ____________________________________________________ Oct. 22, 2020 Americans' mentions of the top problem facing the country today are light on economic worries and international concerns while heavy on the coronavirus pandemic and government. In the latest poll, conducted Sept. 30-Oct. 15, the percentage of U.S. adults naming the coronavirus as the top problem is back up to 30% after slipping to 25% in September -- but still not as high as it was in April (45%). Government/Poor leadership is cited by 23%, followed by race relations at 10%. Mentions of the economy in general are at 9% this month, up slightly from September (5%). When combining all economic-oriented issues cited, including unemployment and the wealth gap, 14% of Americans mention some aspect of the economy, up from 9% last month. Top 10 Most Important Problems on Americans' Minds Ahead of the Election What do you think is the most important problem facing this country today? Aug 31-Sep 13, 2020 Sep 30-Oct 15, 2020 % % Coronavirus/Diseases 25 30 The government/Poor leadership 25 23 Race relations/Racism 13 10 Economy in general 5 9 Unifying the country 6 5 Crime/Violence 8 5 Healthcare 3 4 Unemployment/Jobs 2 3 Judicial system/Courts/Laws 3 3 Environment/Pollution/Climate change 2 3 Net non-economic problems 91 87 Net economic problems 9 14 "Net non-economic problems" and "Net economic problems" are the percentages of Americans naming at least one issue in each category of problems. Gallup At a time when the U.S. is not involved in any major military conflicts, international problems do not make the top 10 -- similar to what Gallup found just before the 2012 presidential election. The only issue in this domain currently cited by even 1% of Americans is relations with China. Gallup has asked its "most important problem facing the country" question monthly since March 2001, and prior to that asked it frequently over the years since 1939. The last time economic mentions were this low immediately preceding a presidential election in which an incumbent was running was in 1964. At that time, a number of international concerns and domestic racial issues were the dominant responses. Mentions of the Economy as Most Important Problem in Presidential Reelection Years Final preelection readings in years when incumbent is running Net economic mentions % 2020 Sep 30-Oct 15 14 2012 Oct 15-16 72 2004 Oct 11-14 40 1996 Jul 25-28 40 1992 Aug 28-Sep 2 69 1984 Sep 28-Oct 1 48 1980 Oct 10-13 66 1976 Oct 22-25 65 1972 Oct 13-16 31 1964 Oct 8-13 13 "Net economic mentions" is the percentage naming one or more economic issues, something Gallup has computed since 1996. Figures for 1964-1992 are combined mentions of the leading economic issues cited over the years (the economy, unemployment, inflation and the federal budget deficit). Gallup This doesn't mean the economy won't be an important factor in the 2020 election. In fact, the economy ranks as the No. 1 issue that voters say will matter to them in their vote for president. However, 2020 presents an unusual situation in which members of both major political parties may have strong incentives not to mention the economy as the nation's top problem. Republicans may not mention it as the top problem because they associate the economy with President Donald Trump's job performance on the issue, which they review positively. Democrats may not name it because they see addressing the COVID-19 situation as the higher priority, at a time when many see the battle against the virus and keeping the economy open as a zero-sum game. Key Election Insights Several recent Gallup reports on Trump's ratings and voting in 2020 provide important context for the nation's electoral climate. Gallup's semifinal job approval rating on Trump before Election Day is 43%, well short of the 50% threshold met by most incumbents who have won reelection. The only exception to date was George W. Bush, whose approval rating varied between 48% and 51% in the days leading up to his reelection in 2004. Learn how Trump's rating compares historically and about the record political polarization of his latest approval rating: Trump Job Rating Steady; Other Mood Indicators Tick Up Joe Biden leads Trump 54% to 47% in Gallup's historical "scalometer" measure of candidate favorability. Read all about the historical context for these figures: Candidate Favorable Ratings Up Over 2016, but Still Low A record-high 77% of U.S. voters say the 2020 election matters more to them than previous elections have, with Democrats leading Republicans 85% to 79% in expressing this sentiment. Fewer independents feel this way, although the 69% saying so comes close to their previous high. Get the full story: More Voters Than in Prior Years Say Election Outcome Matters Less than half of Republicans (44%) are confident that the votes for president will be accurately cast and counted this year. Their biggest concern is people using fraudulent means to cast votes (70% predict this will be a major problem) and votes being cast by people who are not legally eligible (67%). Learn how Republicans' fears about the election compare with those of Democrats: Confidence in Accuracy of U.S. Election Matches Record Low ____________________________________________________ Oct. 18, 2020 Three issues have dominated public discussion this year as the country fell into a pandemic followed by a recession and experienced a seminal moment in race relations after the death of George Floyd in May. As such, candidates' positioning on the economy, race relations and the coronavirus all rank fairly high in importance to Americans' vote this year among 16 issues asked about. Two of these issues -- the coronavirus response and race relations -- show significant gender differences in stated importance. The economy is more of a universal concern. Women are more likely to be Democrats than Republicans, and thus differences in views on the issues by gender will reflect these underlying partisan distinctions. One way to see past this is to review gender differences within each party group. Here we do just that, based on Gallup's Sept. 14-28 national poll. Importance of Key Issues to Vote for President, by Gender and Party % Extremely important Economy Coronavirus response Race relations % % % Republicans/Lean Republican Men 48 19 15 Women 49 27 33 Republican gender gap (pct. pts.) 1 8 18 Democrats/Lean Democratic Men 38 59 47 Women 42 65 62 Democratic gender gap (pct. pts.) 4 6 15 Based on registered voters Gallup, Sept. 14-28, 2020 So, what do these figures show? Women of both major parties who are registered to vote are more likely than their male counterparts to rate race relations as extremely important to their vote, resulting in an 18-percentage-point gender gap among Republican voters (including independents who lean Republican) and a 15-point gap among Democratic voters (including Democratic leaners). The response to the coronavirus as a voting issue sparks smaller gender differences in both parties: 27% of Republican women versus 19% of Republican men rate the coronavirus response as extremely important to their vote. That eight-point difference compares with a six-point gender gap among Democrats. These findings align with the larger gender patterns on COVID-19 related to women being more concerned about contracting the illness and being more likely to take preventive measures such as social distancing. Views of the economy's importance show little difference by gender among registered voters. To the extent that certain issues could sway voters this year, candidates' positioning on race relations and the coronavirus response may be more galvanizing to women than to men. Among registered voters, fewer Republican men and women approve of President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus response and race relations than approve of his handling of the economy. Thus, he risks losing some base support on these issues -- particularly among women, who see the issues as major factors in their vote. President Trump Job Approval on Key Issues, by Gender and Party % Approve Economy Coronavirus response Race relations % % % Republicans/Lean Republican Men 93 83 77 Women 93 87 81 Democrats/Lean Democratic Men 22 5 9 Women 12 3 3 Based on registered voters Gallup, Sept. 14-28, 2020 ____________________________________________________ Oct. 7, 2020 From now through Election Day, Gallup will feature a rolling blog of metrics and data on Americans' views during this unprecedented presidential election campaign. Gallup will still publish in-depth articles on key findings, but we will also use this blog to keep you informed about a variety of other must-know discoveries. Follow @GallupNews on Twitter for frequent updates to this blog. For additional trends and insights, visit Gallup's 2020 Presidential Election Center. Views on Candidates' Qualities, Agreement With Them on Issues Before the first presidential debate and news that President Donald Trump had contracted COVID-19, American voters were more likely to say his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, has the personality and leadership qualities that a president should have. According to Gallup's Sept. 14-28 poll, nearly half of registered voters (49%) agreed that Biden has these qualities, while 44% agreed that Trump has them. At the same time, similar percentages of voters said they agree with the candidates on the issues: 49% said so of Trump and 46% of Biden. Bar graph. American voters' views of Donald Trump and Joe Biden. 49% of Americans say they agree with Donald Trump on the issues that matter most to them, compared with 46% who say they same of Joe Biden. 49% say Joe Biden has the personality and leadership qualities a president should have, with 44% say the same of Donald Trump. Most Say They Are Better Off Now Than Four Years Ago During his presidential campaign in 1980, Ronald Reagan asked Americans, "Are you better off today than you were four years ago?" Since then, this question has served as a key standard that sitting presidents running for reelection have been held to. Gallup's most recent survey found a clear majority of registered voters (56%) saying they are better off now than they were four years ago, while 32% said they are worse off. Bar graph. Americans' views they are better or worse off now then they were four years ago. Currently, 56% of registered voters say they are better off than they were four years ago. In 2012, 45% of Americans said the same, while in 2004, 47% of registered voters agreed they were better off. In 1992, 38% of all Americans said they were better off and in 1984, 44% of the U.S. public said they were better off. Review Gallup's findings on all aspects of Election 2020: This blog will be updated frequently between now and Election Day with unique insights and findings from Gallup's final preelection polls. Please bookmark and visit often, or follow @GallupNews on Twitter to stay informed. Explore more of Gallup's Election 2020 content below: Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 17:48:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KIGALI, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of the four nations in the African Great Lakes region -- Rwanda, Uganda, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) -- on Wednesday committed to improving security cooperation. During a regional virtual summit, the leaders discussed strengthening neighborly relations between the four countries and enhancing cooperation for peace and stability of the Great Lakes region. Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Angolan President Joao Lourenco and DRC President Felix Tshisekedi reaffirmed their commitment to cooperation in eradicating the "negative forces and armed groups" in the Great Lakes region, and condemned acts of violence orchestrated by the groups in the region, said a communique issued at the end of the summit, which reviewed the region's security situation. They also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening efforts to cut off funding sources for activities of the "negative forces," and to jointly fight against both regional and international mafia networks, which contribute to the illicit exploitation and trade of natural resources in the Great Lakes region, it said. "Cooperation in fighting insecurity in the region is at the core of regional efforts in order for trade and investment to thrive across borders," Kagame told the summit, stressing the importance of stability in increasing trade and investment. The leaders also agreed to set up a cross-border plan to strengthen surveillance and control measures in response to COVID-19 and other diseases with high risks to become epidemics, according to the communique. Enditem European Union lawmakers broke off talks on Thursday with EU government representatives over the bloc's budget and a 1.8 trillion euro ($2.12 trillion) coronavirus recovery package. A deal between the European Parliament and governments is required to adopt the EU's largest-ever financial stimulus, which EU leaders agreed at a July summit to help lift Europe's economy from its deepest recession on record. Delays in reaching a deal could further damage the EU economy, as many sectors rely on the EU funds. "We had no other choice but to interrupt the meeting," lawmakers said in a statement, adding that more funds were needed to finance key programmes, including for infrastructure, defence and students exchanges, over the next seven years. Clashes between lawmakers and governments are common over EU budgets, but have so far always ended up in agreements. "A willingness to compromise is needed on all sides," a spokesman for Germany, which is conducting the talks on behalf of the 27 EU governments, said on Twitter. Talks will resume in the coming days and should a deal eventually be reached, national parliaments will then have to ratify it. Search Keywords: Short link: New Delhi: The Congress has accused the Modi government of the Rs 12,000 crore iron ore export scam. Congress National spokesperson Pawan Khera said that the Modi government at the Centre has given examples several times in the last six years, making it clear that the Modi government has come to power only for a few of its selected rich friends. Congress leader Pawan Khera has said, "Before 2014, iron ore (cast iron) was exported only by MMTC, and MMTC could also export only iron ore with 64% iron concentration. The MMTC also had to seek permission from the government before selling the above level of iron, with 89% of the MMTC being under the government. Iron ore exports also had a 30% export fee. This was done so that good quality iron remained in the country and used the steel plant in the country". According to Congress leader Pawan Khera, "When the Modi government came to power in 2014, all these rules were changed. The Steel Ministry first changed the 64% iron concentration rule and allowed Kudremukh Ore Iron Company Limited (KIOCL) to export iron ore to China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. The ministry made another change in the policy and declared that 30% export duty on iron ore would continue, but if exported as iron ore pellets, it would not be charged any export duty. BJP protests against Mamta government, Howrah bridge closed Bihar elections: Gupteshwar Pandey did not get ticket, Anil Deshmukh reacts to it Police rescued 31 girls from bus in Jharkhand By Agustinus Beo Da Costa and Willy Kurniawan JAKARTA (Reuters) - Police and demonstrators clashed in the Indonesian capital on Thursday on the third day of protests and strikes against a polarising new jobs law passed in Southeast Asia's largest economy earlier this week. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered near the presidential palace in central Jakarta, shouting and throwing stones. Police fired tear gas and water cannon in an attempt to disperse the crowd, Reuters witnesses said. The "omnibus" jobs creation bill, passed into law on Monday, has seen thousands of people across the world's fourth-most populous nation take to the streets in protest against legislation they say undermines labour rights and weakens environmental protections. "This is our struggle for our children and grandchildren, and our future generations... If it's like this our well-being will decrease, and we will lack job certainty," Maulana Syarif, 45, who has worked at Astra Honda motors for 25 years, told Reuters in Jakarta. Around 1,000 protesters have been detained in Jakarta and more than 100 others arrested in other cities, according to police spokespeople. At least two students have been hospitalised with head injuries, and six police officers hurt. "I feel a responsibility to the Indonesian people," said another demonstrator, IT student Arawinda Kartika, as she marched toward the palace. "I feel sorry for labourers working day and night without sufficient wages or power." Labour union leader Jumisi called for protests to continue until the law was repealed, extending unions' initial plan for a three-day national strike ending Thursday. Television channels showed demonstrations in multiple cities across the country, including in remote areas such as North Maluku, where people carried coffins and held mock funerals to mark the "death" of parliament. Black smoke rose across the capital on Thursday afternoon as protesters burned public transport facilities and damaged police posts. The operator of Jakarta's MRT rail network said underground stations had been closed. Story continues Protesters blocked a toll road in West Java and set fire to a cafe in Yogyakarta province, media reported. Two provincial governors urged the president to issue an emergency decree to cancel the law, they said in their social media accounts. The government of President Joko Widodo has championed the legislation as key to boosting Indonesia's ailing economy by cutting red tape and attracting more foreign direct investment. Bahlil Lahadalia, the head of Indonesia's Investment Coordinating Board, appealed to young people to trust the government's intent. "Please be assured this law is to create jobs for the unemployed Indonesian people," he said. (Additional Reporting by Tabita Diela and Maikel Jefriando; Writing by Kate Lamb and Gayatri Suroyo; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Alex Richardson) Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg appears before a House Financial Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019. Andrew Harnik/AP Nearly 2,000 of the nation's election offices are seeking part of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's $250 million donation to help offset election costs, per a Recode report. Zuckerberg and his wife donated the funds to help local and state officials ramp up voting infrastructure and COVID-19 safety measures leading up to the 2020 presidential election. The report comes as cash-strapped local and state officials, without federal support from a new congressional stimulus bill, gear up for an unprecedented election where mail-in voting will play a large role. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Nearly 2,000 US election offices have applied for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's $250 million election donation, per a Recode report, as the nation gears up for the 2020 presidential election. Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, announced in early September that they were donating $250 million to local election jurisdictions to round out their voting staff, training, and equipment, distributed through a nonprofit, the Center for Tech and Civic Life. Many of the local governments in the US have depleted election budgets and slumped economies due to the pandemic and have not received federal support in the form of a new congressional stimulus bill. The 2,000 election offices that applied represent one-fifth of the country's total 10,000 election administration jurisdictions. There were so many applications that the nonprofit handling the awarding pushed the deadline from October 1 back to October 15. According to Recode, some have already been awarded Dallas County, Texas, received $15 million and the Maine town of Union was granted $5,000. The rules on how Zuckerberg's contribution can be used are broad. Officials can use the money to cover costs shelled out since June, and they have until two months after Election Day to spend the cash. According to Recode, some city leaders intend to return any unused money after the election. Story continues The lenient rules mean that some city leaders are using the tech CEO's funds to cover their existing deficits. For example, officials in Jackson County, Illinois, told Recode they used $43,000 from Zuckerberg's fund to take a chunk out of an existing $70,000 debt. Facebook did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment. Zuckerberg's donation comes as many states have looked to adjust their election plan during the pandemic, and as many have made it easier to vote by mail. Facebook remains in the spotlight over its handling of political content leading up to the 2020 presidential election on November 3. The company's reputation has taken a hit since the 2016 presidential election and the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, and it has implemented a series of changes to cut down on misinformation. In September, Zuckerberg said Facebook would start labeling posts from candidates that declare victory before the official results can be counted. Facebook also announced it would attach a label to content that touches on the "legitimacy of voting methods, for example, by claiming that lawful methods of voting will lead to fraud." President Donald Trump has repeatedly made false claims that mail-in voting will lead to election fraud. Facebook also announced that it would not accept political ads starting the day after the election, and it will give users information as votes are still being counted, as it's likely that the nation will not know the election results until after November 3. Read the original article on Business Insider Oakland Manor has been cited by a state agency and fined $20,500 for alleged failings during its care and treatment of residents amid the coronavirus pandemic and a COVID-19 outbreak at the facility. The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals citation issued Tuesday said Oakland Manor failed to implement a comprehensive infection control program to mitigate the risk of spread during the COVID-19 outbreak. The citation said the facility failed to complete infection control surveillance consistently on residents, while also failing to isolate residents for a minimum of 10 days after COVID-19 symptoms first appeared. The department also said Oakland Manor staff did not properly sanitize equipment and wore incomplete or improper personal protective equipment.During a COVID-19 outbreak at the facility this summer, 10 residents died, while at least 30 residents and 17 staff members contracted the disease, according to the citation and the Pottawattamie County Public Health Department. They found infectious control issues not only in relation with COVID-19, but generally accepted infectious control policies were not being followed, Pottawattamie County Public Health Director Matt Wyant said. The fine is pending a response by Oakland Manor to the citation. Wyant noted the facility has 30 days to respond. Among the sanitary violations, the citation said in one instance, a staff member used the same gloves to dispose of a urine-soaked adult diaper and place a new diaper, known as a brief. An additional violation at the facility related to the improper positioning of a catheter for a resident and improper wound care afterward. The state agency said a CT scan showed the resident suffered a urethra tear after a catheter was malpositioned and a balloon had been inflated in the urethra, rather than the bladder, as it shouldve been. The citation noted violations in disinfecting equipment, including a sit-to-stand lift that helps residents stand up. Staff expressed concern about having adequate houskeeping staffing to make sure all cleaning at the facility was completed. In a report by the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on the facility, that agency noted an instance where a resident had tried to leave the facility, called an elopement. The report said during an August inspection a community member told a Department of Inspections and Appeals official that an Oakland Manor staff member had showed the community member a photo of a resident outside the facility, on their hands and knees on a sidewalk with the residents back side visible and covered in feces. The staff person told the community member the director of nursing knew the resident exited that night, but told the staff not to talk about it because she didnt want the administrator to know he (the resident) had gotten out, the report said, noting that in an interview the director of nursing said she had not had any elopements in the previous six months and she did not have any incident reports related to attempted elopements. Since the outbreak, a new administrator has taken over at Oakland Manor. The administrator directed a call from the Nonpareil on Wednesday to the facilitys parent company, MGM Healthcare. Messages to MGM were not immediately returned. Wyant said the county would continue to be in contact with the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals and Oakland Manor, just to ensure ... that the proper procedures do get implemented. Thatll fall on their medical director and corporate staff to come up with and implement the training needed, Wyant said. Or reduce their population to an amount their staff is properly equipped to handle. We want the residents of Pottawattamie County to receive the proper care, and receive humane care. This is the most vulnerable time of their life. 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. 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. 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. Markos Tekle, Ethiopias new ambassador to Egypt, says his mission is to promote bilateral relations despite the ongoing dispute over GERD Markos Tekle, the new Ethiopian ambassador to Egypt, has been in Egypt for just under two months. Since arriving in the country he has visited several governorates, and immediately after being introduced as Ethiopias ambassador the first word he would hear was water. Speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly a few days after presenting his accreditation to President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi on 23 September, Tekle said he was keenly aware that his new posting will never escape the shadow cast by the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). During the past two years Egypt and Sudan have strived hard to reach an agreement with Ethiopia over the filling and operation of GERD, the giant dam with a reservoir capacity of 74 billion cubic metres (bcm), that Addis Ababa is constructing on the Blue Nile. A seemingly endless round of three-way negotiations, at first conducted independently, then in Washington with the mediation of the US and World Bank, and most recently via video-conference due to COVID-19, with South Africa, in its capacity as the current chair of the Africa, mediating, all ended without securing an agreement. There is no clear roadmap for the future of negotiations. Since the last round of talks collapsed eight weeks ago Sudan has refused to resume negotiations in the absence of a clear pathway capable of ensuring movement towards a deal. Khartoum spurned an offer from Ethiopia to resume talks on 14 September. South Africa, meanwhile, has not put forward an alternative date for the resumption of negotiations. Speaking to the Weekly, Tekle said that Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been in touch with his Sudanese counterpart Abdalla Hamdok in an attempt to find a way forward. We are still waiting for Sudan, he said. We are hoping that there will be a date soon but we dont know. South Africas presidency of the African Union ends in February, and nobody is holding their breath that the dispute will be resolved before Congo takes over at the helm of the AU. Tekle says Addis Ababa appreciates the efforts South Africa has exerted to bring the three countries together without imposing any views. It is up to the three countries to decide what they will do and what they can agree on. It is not for any third part to decide on their behalf, he says. According to Tekle, Ethiopia is committed to reaching a negotiated agreement that, as Ethiopias prime minister has repeatedly said, will not inflict significant harm on Egypt. Egypt, which already suffers from a shortage of water, depends on the Blue Nile for 80 per cent of its already insufficient share of Nile water. But while Cairo and Khartoum have been demanding a legally binding agreement that guarantees a minimum water flow, in the most recent round of talks Ethiopian officials talked only of setting rules and guidelines. Tekle said that this remains Addis Ababas position, arguing that it is what was agreed in the 2015 Declaration of Principles that the three countries signed in Khartoum. During this years wet season, from mid-July to mid-August, Ethiopia unilaterally began the first filling of the reservoir, withholding 4bcm of water. Tekle said it was fortunate because the volume of rain this year was much higher than usual. We would have wanted to have an agreement before the filling, Tekle said, and argued that Ethiopia is just holding water during an excessively rainy season. Asked whether Addis Ababa intends to pursue a second filling in 2021 in the absence of an agreement, Tekle says only that we are hoping to get an agreement. Tekle spoke before the president of Ethiopia announced on Monday evening that the Ethiopian authorities will prevent civil aviation over the GERD area. He sees his job as working to create an atmosphere that will help the process of negotiations, insisting he is here to focus on the positives. One thing Tekle is keen to avoid is provoking any rhetoric that might hinder talks. It is a very delicate situation and we dont want statements that negatively affect relations on either side, he says. Instead, his focus is to promote cooperation between Ethiopia and Egypt across a range of sectors which he believes will help push forward a deal. Many friends told me I was coming to Egypt at a critical moment. What I told them was that I was arriving at a time when we need to work harder in order to achieve something. Tekle is convinced that Egypt and Ethiopia can overcome their current disputes and work towards the future. We are linked spiritually, naturally and geographically. By better understanding each other we can overcome our differences. Trade, investment, tourism and education are all areas ripe for future cooperation, which Tekle believes will promote greater understanding and help promote an agreement over GERD. *A version of this article appears in print in the 8 October, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Every Friday afternoon, Joel Alvarez gets his disco lights and music ready. When he turns on the Zoom camera at 6 oclock, he is surrounded by blue lighting, or lights of some other color. Sometimes, he adds a hat or a special piece of clothing. Then, he is ready for the party. But this is not just any party. It is also an English class at the University of Panama. And Alvarez is not just the events D.J. He is also the professor. During these weekly parties, students play competitive grammar games in teams. The winning team gets to hear their favorite songs. Parties, however, are not all Alvarezs only specialty, says university student Linda Bermudez. Its really nice having classes with him. We get really entertained. And we learn a lot too -- thats the more important thing. But we also get entertained with him. At the university, Alvarez is known for working especially hard to connect with students and help them expand their professional goals. He is a respected educator in Panama, involved in everything from training English teachers to planning and speaking at conferences. Yet, that is still only part of the story. Alvarez has a whole other life in humanitarian causes. In the past several months, that has taken the form of helping needy families and schoolchildren around Panama City. Helping families in need During the coronavirus crisis, Alvarez has been identifying local families who need food and other assistance. He requests and gathers donations from friends and other people. He goes to the stores to purchase supplies. And, he delivers the donations himself to the families. I try to identify where is the real needwhere there is impact. Alvarez says he visits with the families when he makes deliveries. He talks with parents about how important it is for their children to continue their education even with schools closed across the nation. Francisco Santamaria is one of Alvarezs friends and a donor. Sometimes he goes with Alvarez on his delivery trips. Santamaria likes meeting the families and hearing about their lives because, in his words, if we are living in our bubbles, we will never know how difficult (a time) others are having. Alvarez says that the number of people willing to help his aid operation keeps growing. Every month, more friends are joining to the group. In July, a friend of the professor asked their friend group to help provide aid to a local home for the elderly. They have been delivering food, clothing and supplies such as disinfectant products and face coverings. Along with providing basic necessities, Alvarez volunteers as an English teacher for children in low-income neighborhoods. The families of these seven, eight, and nine-year-old students do not have computers but they do have cell phones. So, Alvarez teaches them in small groups over video calls. Alvarez says changes in Panamas education system has left the country without a strong reading culture. So now, he is gathering donations of books for a nearby elementary school. His longer-term plan is to start a reading circle program at several local schools. Volunteer teachers would lead the circles. More than a teacher Alvarez has done humanitarian work for a long time. His service includes eight years in the U.S. Peace Corps in Panama as Program Director for Teaching English, Leadership and Life Skills. Back in the virtual classroom, university students Linda Bermudez and Daniel Gonzalez help Professor Alvarez prepare games for their weekly grammar parties. Gonzalez has been studying grammar under Alvarez since the spring. He says the professor pays careful attention to the troubles and learning styles of each student. And he pushes them to identify their larger callings and goals beyond school. Professor Alvarez is not only a good professor but he is a very, very, very good person. Gonzalez says that, to him and others, Alvarez is a guide showing them the way to be better people, not just better students. Im Alice Bryant. Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. Quiz - English Professor in Panama City Helps Families, Schools Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story disco (lights) n. special lights that are meant to look like lights in a nightclub D.J. n. (disc jockey) a person who plays recorded music on the radio or at a party or nightclub entertain v. to provide amusement for someone by singing, acting or doing something else impact n. a powerful or major influence or effect bubble n. a condition in which similar members of a community reinforce their shared experiences elderly n. people who are old or rather old low-income n. people who earn less than, or at least not much more than, the poverty level style n. a particular way in which something is done, created or performed Russian President Vladimir Putin invited the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan to visit Moscow for peace talks Friday and said fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh should be halted for humanitarian reasons. Putin's invitation came as there appeared to be no end in sight for nearly two weeks of fighting between Azerbaijan and ethic Armenian separatists that has claimed hundreds of lives. "The foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia are being invited to Moscow on October 9," Putin said in a statement released by the Kremlin. "The President of Russia is issuing a call to halt the fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh on humanitarian grounds in order to exchange dead bodies and prisoners," the Kremlin added. Yerevan has so far ruled out any talks between the two countries' top diplomats as long as clashes are ongoing. Earlier talks were held in Geneva but expectations were low and no statements were likely from the negotiations which were being conducted behind closed doors -- and without Armenian participation. Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov was to meet diplomats from France, Russia and the United States, who make up the "Minsk Group" that has sought a solution to the Karabakh conflict since the 1990s. Armenia on Thursday accused Azerbaijan of shelling a historic cathedral in Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia said several journalists were injured in strikes on the cathedral after an initial bombardment left rubble strewn across the floor, pews knocked over and a layer of dust coating the interior from parts of the building's limestone walls that had been hit. "There is no military, nothing strategic here, how can you target a church?" said local resident Simeon, who lives nearby. Azerbaijan and Armenia are locked in bitter fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh, an Azerbaijani region controlled by Armenians who declared an unrecognised breakaway statelet after the fall of the USSR and emerged victorious from the war that followed. Story continues Hundreds including civilians have been killed in the current fighting, the worst since a 1994 ceasefire, with both sides doubling down on entrenched positions over who should control the region. Defence officials in Azerbaijan and Armenia said fighting continued into Thursday, with both sides claiming to have inflicted heavy losses and accusing the other of shelling civilian areas. There was a gaping hole in the roof of the Ghazanchetsots (Holy Saviour) Cathedral, AFP journalists reported, after Armenia's defence ministry accused Azerbaijan of targeting a cherished site for the Armenian Apostolic Church. - Thousands forced to flee - A section of the cathedral's metal roof collapsed and fell to the ground outside. Baku denied its forces were behind the first attack, saying that unlike Armenia, "the Azerbaijani army does not target historical, cultural, or especially religious, buildings and monuments." Explosions and sirens sounded in Nagorno-Karabakh's regional capital Stepanakert as the city continued to face regular shelling early Thursday, AFP journalists said. Heavy bombardments have levelled many homes since fighting erupted late last month and Stepanakert is pockmarked with unexploded ordnance and wide craters from shelling. Alongside the new bombardments in Stepanakert, Azerbaijan said Armenian shelling on several villages near the frontline had left people dead and wounded. Alamshar Hasanov, a resident of Shukurbeyli near the border with Karabakh, said his village was subjected to Armenian shelling on a daily basis. "See for yourself," he said. "A neighbour's house was destroyed." "May God grant our soldiers, officers, and commanders health. We rely on them," he told AFP. Armenia's rights ombudsman Artak Beglaryan told AFP on Wednesday that the renewed fighting has displaced around half of Karabakh's 140,000 residents and forced some 90 percent of its women and children from their homes. The fighting in one of the most combustible frozen conflicts resulting from the fall of the Soviet Union reignited on September 27, with Azerbaijan insisting the region must return to its control. - Threat of international conflict - Dozens of civilians have been confirmed killed in the fighting and the Armenian side has acknowledged more than 300 military deaths. Azerbaijan has not admitted to any fatalities among its troops. International leaders have repeatedly called for an immediate halt to the fighting but there are no signs yet of the conflict abating. Turkey's strong backing for Azerbaijan has sown fears in the West that the conflict could spiral into a full-blown war embroiling Ankara with Moscow, which has a military treaty with Armenia. Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron are among the world leaders to denounce the reported deployment of pro-Turkish fighters from Syria and Libya to Karabakh. Iran on Wednesday warned of "terrorists" who had joined the conflict from abroad. Azerbaijan announced Thursday that it was recalling its ambassador to Athens following reports that Greek citizens were joining Armenian forces in Karabakh. bur-im-jbr/as/har/lc Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 22:15:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Africa should close the inequality gaps if the continent is set to realize recovery targets aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), said on Thursday. "If we do not find ways of closing the inequality gaps on our continent, we will end up with an even more unequal society which is unstable and may lead to political and civil unrest undermining the COVID-19 recovery," said the executive secretary. Songwe made the remarks during the launching of the Africa Data Leadership Initiative (ADLI), which was jointly launched by the UNECA with Future State and Smart Africa, towards creating safe space for policymakers, digital rights experts and entrepreneurs to learn together. "To catch up to the rest of the world and leave no one behind, we must invest quickly, faster and at scale in infrastructure, in particular in digital technology," she said, adding the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and digital transformation are "everybody's business" towards poverty alleviation in Africa. Songwe said Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and digital transformation is everybody's business and value creation that exists in the ICT sector was crucial for wealth creation and a more prosperous Africa. "The ICT ministers may be the custodian, but we need all stakeholders -- health, education, the private sector and civil society to generate value," added the ECA Chief. The Africa Data Leadership Initiative (ADLI) is a peer network designed for and by African policymakers, consumer rights advocates, and private sector stakeholders to ensure the data economy drives equitable growth and social progress across the continent. The tripartite partnership is creating a peer learning and exchange network in pursuit of three interrelated and interdependent goals that include creating a dynamic "safe space" in which African policymakers, digital rights experts, and entrepreneurs can learn together and from each other, collaboratively problem solve, and share experiences. It also envisaged building a strong base of expertise across the continent to safely unlock the value of data for prosperity and social advancement, as well as contributing to broader initiatives like the African Union-led framework for an African Data Governance Agenda to build a comprehensive data policy for the continent, it was noted. Leveraging Smart Africa's and ECA's existing platforms, the organizations will promote the peer network among their constituents and solicit input to the data governance issues interrogated through the peer network. The African Union (AU) Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, Amani Abou-Zeid, also said since 2015 the AU Commission and the ECA had co-hosted high-level meetings on data which showed how accurate and timely data can help address the continent's socio-economic challenges. "Our eyes are very much on how we recover better and smarter in the aftermath of COVID-19 and technology will definitely help us do that," she said, adding that safety and security were crucial going forward to ensure Africa's data is not abused. Lacina Kone, Director General and CEO of Smart Africa, on his part said in emerging African economies, data protection was crucial and should start with the building of secure infrastructure. He said access to trustworthy and accurate data was vital for Africa's development. "In order to increase the use and value derived from data, capacities to make smart use of available data must be enhanced on the African continent both in the public and private sectors. Infrastructure for this data circulation must be developed," said Kone. SMART Africa is an innovative commitment from African heads of state and government to accelerate sustainable socioeconomic development on the continent, ushering Africa into a knowledge economy through affordable access to broadband and usage of Information and Communications Technologies. Enditem Patrick J. Adams plays astronaut John Glenn in the Disney+ adaptation of Tom Wolfe's "The Right Stuff." (Gene Page/National Geographic) Tom Wolfe's "The Right Stuff," which tells the story of the test pilots who became the first American astronauts and was previously a big, long, A-list film directed by Philip Kaufman has been adapted again as a smaller, longer B-list TV series by Disney+. From the five episodes (out of eight) available for review as of this writing, one may reasonably wonder why they bothered, apart from the fact that someone owns the rights to a prestige brand and that what looks good on paper and in executive offices sometimes looks less good in execution. Still, it has been awhile since the last historical space-race series ABC's "The Astronaut Wives Club" in 2015 and HBO's "From the Earth to the Moon" before that in 1998 so if you are a Disney+ subscriber looking for something relatively grown-up to watch or would enjoy a basic primer on the human side of NASA's infancy or are a space race completist, have at it. It will do you no harm. Produced for National Geographic by Warner Horizon Television and Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way Productions, "The Right Stuff" is not bad, or even boring, just thin and unconvincing. Its budget shows, in the negative sense, and its best points are to be found here and there in small things individual performances, selected exchanges and assorted old gewgaws and gadgets that decorate the screen. The series focuses on three of the seven Mercury astronauts: Alan Shepard (Jake McDorman), John Glenn (Patrick J. Adams) and Gordon Cooper (Colin O'Donoghue). Shepard and Glenn, the two fliers most likely to be chosen the first to go into space, are each eager to be that guy; Cooper is interesting to the filmmakers mostly because of his messy personal life and for his wife, Trudy (an affecting Eloise Mumford), who was a pilot as well and who gets a bit of a storyline of her own. You are not being shown so much as told a story, propelled by great bursts of expository dialogue. Some of it may be true that some of it is not exactly is announced at the start of every episode and perhaps you will be moved to do some independent reading on the subject to winnow fact from fiction. Trivial if not uninteresting facts are alluded to: Glenn played the trumpet; filet mignon was on the menu the morning of the first American manned spaceflight, potentially a last meal. From my own casual winnowing, the series seems basically true to the record. (I could not ascertain whether Wernher von Braun, played by a blustery Sacha Seberg, dressed as Santa Claus over Christmas 1959.) And yet rarely did I feel I was seeing something close to actual, any more than watching a middle-school performance of "Cats" might make you believe you were on Broadway. Story continues The Project Mercury astronauts meet their adoring public in a scene from the Disney+ miniseries, "The Right Stuff." (National Geographic) Shepard and Glenn are a study in opposites, the Lennon and McCartney of the Mercury Seven. Glenn is abstemious, churchgoing, devoted to his childhood sweetheart wife; Shepard lives the rock star life away from his wife, Louise (Shannon Lucio), drinking and philandering and cruising Floridas Cocoa Beach in a Corvette convertible. Glenn, who knows what to say to a reporter, is the popular face of the space program, conscious of public opinion; Shepard doesn't care what anyone thinks of him, but he has the authority of an outlaw. Where the other astronauts look upon Glenn as sanctimonious, he finds them incautious. We're given enough to see that Glenn can be a little weird and that Shepard has layers he has a worse jerk for a father, who comes to a holiday dinner in full dress uniform, the better to belittle him. Period pop songs set scenes in conventional ways. Much happens offstage, to be reported on later, like a battle in a Shakespeare play which is just as well, because the visual effects tend to look like visual effects, crowd scenes are underpopulated and NASA facilities can feel threadbare. (Perhaps they were, at first.) We see more of the astronauts in swimming pools than training for space. But they are nice-looking pools. Many interior scenes are shot in low light, as if it were too expensive to turn on a lamp, and maybe it was scrambling for funding is a theme here. The agency, in more or less continual crisis mode, is represented by Eric Ladin as flight director Chris Kraft, Patrick Fischler as Space Task Group Director Robert Gilruth and Jackson Pace as Glynn Lunney, just a kid wet behind the ears. As Dee O'Hara, Mercury's staff nurse, Kaley Ronayne does good work and provides low-key sympathetic support to McDorman's Shepard. The more consciously dramatic the writing, the bigger the action, the less convincing the scene; even the domestic business between the fliers and their wives can feel made to order, inorganic. But every now and again, "The Right Stuff" takes a breath and lets life roll on a little. Its best moments are small and quiet and have little or nothing to do with the space race (or the race to be the space race ace). An encounter between Glenn and a woman named Dot (Courtney Halverson) he meets while checking out a Bible group, in a bowling alley, does not much more than underscore Glenn's decency, but it feels wholly alive. Halverson, whose subtlety lends substance to her brief appearance, does have something to do with that, but it works well too for Adams, whose conception of Glenn is interestingly delicate. (When he does pop, it registers.) I could have watched them for an hour. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. 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. French aid worker freed by captors returns home from Mali Macron welcomed Petronin as she arrived back in France French aid worker Sophie Petronin was reunited with her family on home soil Friday, a day after being freed by insurgents in Mali who abducted the 75-year-old on Christmas eve nearly four years ago. President Emmanuel Macron and other officials greeted Petronin, France's last known citizen to be held hostage anywhere in the world, as she stepped off a plane at the Villacoublay airbase south of Paris shortly after midday. Wearing a face mask and a white headscarf, she hugged family members including three grand-children on the tarmac and spoke for several minutes with Macron, who accompanied her to the base's small terminal. No public statements were made, though Macron had earlier called Petronin's release an "immense relief". "The French rejoice with me to finally have you back, dear Sophie Petronin. Welcome home!" Macron tweeted after meeting her. Petronin was released by her captors along with a prominent Malian politician, Soumaila Cisse, and two Italian hostages, who were also on their way home Friday, according to an airport source in Mali's capital Bamako. Cisse, a three-time presidential candidate and former opposition leader, was also hugged by loved ones at the Bamako airport and greeted by cheering crowds on his way home. "It was a difficult period, but it has been overcome," the 70-year-old Cisse told AFP. Italian priest Pier Luigi Maccalli, who was abducted in neighbouring Niger in 2018, and Nicola Chiacchio, who went missing last year while on a solo bicycle trip, were also freed. Mali's government has not revealed the circumstances of the releases, which followed talks with hostage-takers. But Malian authorities freed more than 100 prisoners over the weekend, sparking speculation of a swap for Petronin and Cisse. - 'Mama Sophie' - Late Thursday, a frail-looking Petronin, who is known as "Mama Sophie" and dedicated years of her life to a charity for malnourished children, was twirled around by her son, Sebastien Chadaud, as she arrived in Bamako. Story continues Footage shared on social media showed the mother and son with their foreheads pressed together, as Petronin told him: "You were there by my side telling me, hang in there." In an unexpected development, the Malian prime minister's office announced Thursday that two Italian nationals had also been freed. Mali's government has been struggling against a brutal jihadist insurgency that emerged in the north in 2012, which has since spread to central Mali as well as to Burkina Faso and Niger. Thousands of soldiers and civilians have died in the conflict and hundreds of thousands have been displaced, and kidnappings are common. Mali's former colonial power France has 5,100 soldiers deployed across the Sahel as part of its anti-jihadist Operation Barkhane. Petronin was abducted by gunmen on December 24, 2016, in the northern city of Gao, where she did her charitable work. Cisse was kidnapped on March 25 while campaigning in his home region of Niafounke, central Mali, ahead of parliamentary elections. Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Defence Minister Lorenzo Guerini and Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio hailed the release of the Italians, who Di Maio said were well. Speaking to reporters, Petronin thanked the Malian and French governments for their help. "For Mali, I will pray and implore the blessing and the mercy of Allah, because I am a Muslim," she said. "You say Sophie, but it's Mariam, you have before you," she added. Petronin appeared in good spirits despite concerns about her health after a 2018 hostage video showed her looking emaciated. The footage triggered alarm among her family members, who pressured Macron to negotiate with her captors. France's president had said several times that his services were working "tirelessly" for Petronin's release. - Difficult talks - One of the hostage negotiators, who requested anonymity, told AFP the talks remained difficult to the end. The intermediary said releasing prisoners had been unavoidable. "Yes, terrorists were released," he said. "We had to obtain the release." The office of Mali's prime minister said the four hostages had been held by the Group to Support Islam and Muslims. The alliance comprises jihadist groups aligned to al-Qaeda, and has claimed responsibility for some of the biggest attacks in the Sahel. The prisoner release came with an interim government due to govern Mali for 18 months before staging elections after a military junta overthrew president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August. The kidnapping of former opposition leader Cisse was one of the factors that fuelled popular protests leading to Keita's ouster over his perceived inability to crush the Islamist insurgency. Several hostages remain detained by militant groups in the Sahel. bur-mlr-js/jh/ach Trump says U.S. troops in Afghanistan should return home by Christmas WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that remaining U.S. troops in Afghanistan should return home by Christmas. "We should have the small remaining number of our BRAVE Men and Women serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas!" he suggested in a tweet. Earlier in the day, Trump's National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said that the U.S. troop level in Afghanistan is currently less than 5,000 and would go down to about 2,500 by early 2021. U.S. invasion of Afghanistan has caused over 100,000 deaths, including civilians, Afghan security forces, Taliban forces and U.S. soldiers. Trump has been seeking a full withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Uttar Pradesh government, which filed an affidavit in the case this week, also urged the top court to order CBI probe into the incident Activists hold placards during a protest against the death of a 19-year-old Dalit woman who was allegedly gang-raped two weeks ago in Hathras (UP), outside Chaitya Bhoomi in Mumbai. PTI photo New Delhi: An NGO has moved the Supreme Court seeking to transfer the investigation in the Hathras incident, in which a Dalit girl was allegedly raped and died of injuries, to the CBI. The NGO, which has sought to intervene and assist the apex court in the pending plea on Hathras incident, said it has the experience of working with victims who were threatened and intimidated by the mighty state in the past. The applicant, Citizens for Justice and Peace, has raised certain aspects in its application like witness protection, rights of deceased, admissibility of narco-analysis test, statements by public authorities, dying declaration and relevance of forensic reports and other medical evidence in rape cases. The applicant is intervening primarily since there are widespread news reports attributed to senior police officials and elected representatives who are trying to underplay the heinous offence and actually prejudging the issue, it said. The Uttar Pradesh government, which filed an affidavit in the case this week, also urged the top court to order CBI probe into the incident saying an innocent life has been lost and the central agency may be ordered to conduct the probe under the supervision of the apex court itself. The 19-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly raped by four upper-caste men in Hathras on September 14. She died on September 29 at Delhi''s Safdarjung Hospital during treatment. The victim was cremated in the dead of the night near her home on September 30. Her family alleged they were forced by the local police to hurriedly conduct her last rites. Local police officers, however, said the cremation was carried out "as per the wishes of the family". The NGO, in its plea, has alleged that there are reports of a senior police officer saying that there was no sexual assault in the case. It is rather alarming that an officer at that level is making these public statements when investigation is still in progress and the final outcome would be post the trial, it said, adding, The applicant is intervening in these circumstances having had experience working with victims who were threatened and intimidated by the mighty state in the past. It alleged that uncertainty around the protection of the victim's family is growing day-by-day especially as it appears from media reports that the socially powerful families allegedly associated with the accused, are intimidating the family. It said that larger question of protection of witness has become of paramount importance in the matter. The plea claimed that on October 2, a spokesperson of the Uttar Pradesh government said that a polygraph and narco-analysis test of the victim's family would be conducted. It alleged the official also said that tests would be conducted both from the side of accused and victim, apart from police officials and others involved in the case. It said subjecting the family members to such tests when they are neither accused nor booked under any charges in the manner is a great defiance of law. The plea has said that the probe should be transferred to the CBI with specific directions that the team would file progress report before the apex court. It has also sought direction to provide protection to all the witnesses from the central paramilitary forces and also to appoint a retired judge of the top court to investigate the circumstances which led to the cremation of victim in the middle of the night in open field. While hearing a plea on Hathras incident, the apex court had on October 6 termed as "shocking and horrible" the incident and said it would ensure a smooth investigation. It had sought Uttar Pradesh government's reply by October 8 on how the witnesses were being protected in the case. Camper fire claims the life of two people in Marshall County Amidst the chaos of the last week, a potentially groundbreaking story came out of Congress a few days ago when the House Antitrust Subcommittee produced a report that recommends breaking up Big Tech, namely Facebook, Amazon, Alphabet (Google) and Apple. The report caps a 16-month investigation into some of Americas most valuable and influential companies. As to Facebook a company hated by millions but whose products are used by over 2.5 billion people worldwide the committee recommends structural separation of the companys businesses into Facebook/Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp, a messaging app used by over a billion people around the globe. As noted, Facebook has become a favorite whipping boy of Democrats and right-wingers alike not just because of its allegedly monopolistic hold on social media, but because of its CEO Mark Zuckerberg perhaps the least sympathetic figure in American business. The committee report lays out myriad reasons why Big Blue ought to be broken up, but for those jumping on the Break-up Bandwagon, be careful what you wish for. A little history is in order. The most famous anti-trust case in American history involved John D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil. The landmark 1911 case split the behemoth into 34 different companies, many of which remain household names to this day: Exxon-Mobil, Chevron and Pennzoil just to name a few. When told of the Supreme Courts decision and asked for his reaction, Rockefeller breezily recommended that people buy stock in Standard Oil. He was right. Standard Oil shareholders, including Rockefeller, ultimately received shares in the new companies. Within a few years he tripled his wealth en route to becoming the richest person in American history. The combined value of the 34 Baby Standards more than quadrupled in a decade. Rockefeller, who was perhaps the most hated magnate of his time, made more money in retirement than he did actually running the company. The breakup of AT&T had a similar aftermath. The telecommunications giant split into seven Baby Bells in 1985. A decade later, shareholders who kept their stakes in the new companies and reinvested their dividendssaw returns of over 300-percent. Breaking up Big Tech is not a new idea. Facebook and the like have been targeted by regulators in this country and abroad for years now. To date, not much has been done and theres no guarantee that will change. Furthermore, were such an antitrust case to come to fruition, it would almost certainly end up in the U.S. Supreme Court. It is unclear how a right-wing Court would rule on the issue. It is also hard to tell whether the public would even care. After all, Facebooks main products are free. Proving that a breakup would benefit consumers may be a hard sell. Still, with Democrats poised to take control of the House, Senate and White House in a few months, the Antitrust Subcommittee recommendations may be the biggest step yet toward breaking up social medias biggest player. 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. Photo: (Photo : Pexels) A dad from Turkey recently welcomes his 19th child. His newborn baby is named Yeter, when translated to English, the name means, "Enough." According to the dad from Turkey, who had his 19th child named "Enough," they could starve to death. The dad lost his job due to the coronavirus pandemic and he no longer knows how he could feed his huge family. Dad, Zeher Gezer has two wives. READ ALSO: Court Orders Texas Baby Removed from Life Support The dad with 19 children has two wives. Although it is illegal to have two wives in Turkey, dad Zeher Gezer manages to live with his wives. According to an article from the Daily Star, Zeher married his second wife religiously and did not register their marriage. With his first wife, Dilber, Zeher managed to become a father to 10 children. The dad from Turkey fathered the other nine children to his second wife, Ikramiye. Both Dilber and Ikramiye live in the same house and say they are now like sisters. Although the two wives also admitted that they did not get along at first. Dilber says, "She has children, and so do I. Her children are mine, and mine are hers." READ ALSO: Young Boy Reunites with Family After Being Stuck Overseas Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic The family struggles due to the coronavirus pandemic. The dad from Turkey lost his job due to the coronavirus pandemic. Because of this, the entire family has been struggling to get the ends meet. According to reports, Zeher wants to provide for his family so badly, but losing his job meant that there is lesser food on the table - not enough for his 19 children and two wives. That includes food for the 19th child named "Enough." Due to the coronavirus pandemic's impact on the family, even the children's schooling had to take a hit. Among the 19 children, four of the girls and one of the boys cannot attend school. Also, one of the Year 7 girls is now out of the school as well. READ ALSO: Pandemic Baby Bonus: A Way to Avoid Baby Bust and Ensure Baby Boost Family hopes for government assistance As the family welcomes the 19th child named "Enough," they are also hoping that local authorities will help them. The dad from Turkey still cannot find a job that will help him sustain the needs of his family. His children often go to sleep without even eating. Zeher, in his interview with the DailyStar, said, "We are living miserably, if we do not get help soon we could all die of hunger." He sends his appeal to the state, prime minister, and the president. READ ALSO: New York Hero Dad Who Shielded Kids from Gunman Receives $200K of Donations The coronavirus has also affected the lives of people in Turkey. More than 300,000 individuals have already tested positive of the virus. The virus has also caused more than 8,000 deaths in the country. A South Korean citizen headed to Japan self-checks at Incheon International Airport, Thursday, with documents including a medical certificate that proves him tested negative on COVID-19 examination. An agreement between South Korean and Japan to exempt visitors to both countries with business purposes from a 14-day self-quarantine begins Thursday. Yonhap South Korea's daily new infections rose by double digits on Thursday, while the country is still worried over a possible resurgence of new infections after a long holiday. The country added 69 COVID-19 cases, including 60 local infections, raising the total caseload to 24,422, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The country's new COVID-19 cases had risen by double digits for six consecutive days since last Friday, but bounced back to 114 on Wednesday. Health authorities have warned that the country could see an uptick in COVID-19 cases after the five-day Chuseok holiday that ran through last Sunday. Health authorities are especially concerned that asymptomatic patients could have spread the virus during the Chuseok fall harvest holiday. Fears of mass outbreak looming large after Chuseok T'way Air to start flights to Japan next month COVID-19 vaccine may be ready by year-end: WHO The country is also set to have a three-day break from Friday to Sunday when Hangeul Day, which celebrates the Korean alphabet, is combined with the weekend. The country earlier designated a special two-week period for toughened virus curbs until Sunday to prevent outbreaks. Of the newly identified local infections, 19 cases were reported in Seoul and 22 cases in Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital. Incheon, west of Seoul, reported five more cases, the KDCA said. The southern port city of Busan added five cases. The number of newly identified imported cases came to nine, down from 20 a day earlier, the authorities said. There were two additional deaths from COVID-19, raising the death toll to 427, they said. The fatality rate was 1.75 percent. The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients came to 97, according to the KDCA. The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 22,463, up 129 from the previous day. An Easy Way to Put More Money in the Hands of Californians There is no way around itCalifornias Assembly Bill (AB) 5 has been a disaster for our state. The so-called gig economy legislation passed last year has been a short-sighted and dangerous attack on nearly ten percent of our states workforce. Whats worsebusinesses continue to be attacked on all sides from attorneys looking to exploit the vague ABC test. And all this is peaking during the worst health crisis in a century, when millions of Californians remain jobless and small businesses are struggling to survive. Lets break it down. In a misguided effort to protect more workers in the golden state, our legislature passed AB 5, disrupting the rapidly emerging gig economy by requiring employers to classify nearly all independent contractors as employeeseligible for all the benefits that coincide that classification. There has been lawsuit after lawsuit filed over the ABC test and it looks like these cases wont stop until compromising legislation is reach, such as Prop 22. Just look at the most recent case from California Labor Commissioner. The state is suing both Uber and Lyft for misclassifying employees and alleging wage theft. An example of unnecessary litigation used in an attempt to find a solution. ADVERTISEMENT What many dont know is the role that plaintiffs attorneys play in this process. It is emerging as a lucrative endeavor to hunt down businesses that employ independent contractors in an attempt to sue them into falling in line with the rest of the state. With the vague ABC test as their primary weapon, the burden then falls on businesses to prove they are in compliance with the new law. Unfortunately, this rarely works out, and more and more California businesses are falling victim to this latest gambit. The Ubers and Lyfts of the world are getting the most attention, but we cannot forget the effects the ABC test has on smaller businesses. As the president and CEO of the California Black Chamber of Commerce, I have witnessed how this has especially damaged the minority community in our state. Many Black Californians work hard to provide for their families, often through two or more streams of income. When businesses are bombarded with lawsuits or are forced to layoff employees because they cant afford full-time benefits, these alternate income streams dry up, and many then struggle to provide for their families. Thanks to COVID-19, this has all been made significantly worse. As workers are furloughed or laid off, they are looking for temporary or even permanent new job opportunities, and many of these have traditionally come through work as independent contractors. But as attorneys continue to exploit an already misguided law, these opportunities are fewer and further between, and our minority communities have paid the price. Before AB 5, California was home to an estimated two million independent contract workers. Whatever your position may be on the new law, it is certainly an unprecedented time throughout our state and the country at large. In light of record unemployment and continued economic woes, we must do everything we can to get Californians back on their feet and businesses back to serving customers. A prudent first step would be protections for businesses who could use independent contractors to pay their workforce and stay afloatinstead of cutting jobs or even shutting down for good. I urge our lawmakers to recognize the unique and difficult situation we are all facing and protect businesses from predatory AB 5 lawsuits. We all win when businesses can re-open and more Californians get paid. ADVERTISEMENT Edwin Lombard is the President and CEO of the California Black Chamber of Commerce Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Brazil surpassed five million coronavirus infections on Wednesday and is approaching 150,000 deaths from the disease, amid optimism the virus is slowing in the hard-hit South American country. The Health Ministry reported 31,553 new infections in the previous 24 hours, registering a total of 5,000,694 cases overall, behind only the United States and India. Home to 212 million people, Brazil also counted 734 new deaths Wednesday, meaning the virus has claimed 148,228 lives since the country recorded its first death in March. Brazil has the world's second-highest death toll from the disease after the US. The country's curve appears to be descending, however. The average number of deaths per day for the past week was 610. The daily average rarely dipped below 1,000 per day from June through August. The country averaged around 27,000 new infections per day over the past week. The average was over 40,000 in early September. But experts agree that despite the downward trend, the situation in Brazil remains "worrying." The fall in the number of cases "isn't yet sustained," University of Brasilia epidemiologist Mauro Sanchez told AFP. "Therefore, there is an initial trend of decline, but it has yet to be confirmed," he said. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 AFP According to Chinese Human Rights Defenders, Chinese authorities have not implemented the recommendations made by the United Nations in the area of human rights. The rights of Uyghurs, Tibetans, other ethnic minorities, Hong Kong citizens, political and civil activists, women, LGBT people, journalists, lawyers and doctors are still being violated. UN member states should block Chinas entry into the Human Rights Council. Beijing (AsiaNews) The Chinese government has failed to protect and promote human rights in any meaningful way and has exploited the UN review process, Chinese Human Right Defenders (CHRD) stated today. Two years after the third universal periodic review (UPR) by the UN, China has only partially implemented five of the 58 recommendations it claimed to have "accepted". The CHRD report follows. For the third time, in November 2018, China underwent scrutiny by fellow member states of its human rights conditions in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which takes place roughly every four years for each UN member state. Two years after the 2018 UPR, at the mid-way point, the Chinese government has not released any assessment of its implementation of the recommendations that member states made in 2018. Though UN member states are encouraged to submit mid-term reports that assess their own progress, the Chinese government has never conducted such an assessment pursuant to any of its three UPRs. We have taken this opportunity to conduct a civil society mid-term assessment of the Chinese governments implementation of the 3rd UPR recommendations. During Chinas 3rd UPR, member states made 346 recommendations in November 2018. China accepted 284 of these recommendations in March 2019. CHRD focused its examination on the 58 recommendations that China accepted and also declared it had already implemented (47 recommendations) or were being implemented (11 recommendations). We assumed that these assertions indicated that the government was willing to engage with the international community to improve its human rights record in these areas. Based on our assessment, we give the Chinese government one of three grades on its implementation of each of the 58 recommendations - fully, partially, or not implemented. In our assessment, we find that China did not fully implement any of the 58 recommendations. It only partially implemented 3 of the 58 recommendations (5%) and did not implement 53 of the 58 recommendations (91%). Two recommendations could not be meaningfully assessed as the states making them either made factually incorrect assumptions or ignored Chinas problematic record prior to the 2018 UPR. Of the 58 recommendations we assessed, China claimed to have already implemented nine recommendations about discrimination against women, LGBTQI+ persons, ethnic and religious minorities and marginalized and disadvantaged groups. Our assessment found that none of these recommendations had been implemented by 2018, nor have they been implemented since then. China has still not adopted a specific and comprehensive anti-discrimination law. Women have continued to face gender-based discrimination in employment. LGBTQI+ people have continued to face discrimination at home, at work, in schools and in public and China did not legalize same-sex marriage when adopting the Civil Code in 2020, despite pushes by activists. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were numerous reports of discriminatory treatment towards African migrants. Ethnic and religious minorities have continued to face discrimination in employment and housing and many faced arbitrary detention for practicing their religion and culture. Persons with disabilities have continued to face discrimination and a lack of reasonable accommodation in areas such education, healthcare, poverty relief and employment. Another eight recommendations that China claimed in 2018 to have already implemented related to freedom of religion. All eight of these recommendations had not been implemented by 2018 nor have they been implemented since then. Freedom of religion has continued to suffer from government suppression since before the 2018 UPR. China has intensified its policy to Sinicize religion (a policy of cultural and religious assimilation) and new administrative measures require that religious organizations must support the leadership of the Communist Party of China. China has continued to maintain internment camps for Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang, where individuals have been arbitrarily detained for exercising their right to religious freedom. Muslims including Uyghurs, Hui, and other Turkic groups, Tibetans, Christian house churches and Falun Gong continue to face brutal persecution. UN member states made seven recommendations concerning the situation of human rights defenders (HRDs), which China claimed to have already implemented. None of these recommendations have been implemented before or since 2018. HRDs including journalists and lawyers continue to face arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, administrative penalties, collective punishment against their families, and targeted surveillance in response to their work to promote and protect human rights. China often prosecutes HRDs for crimes of endangering national security, in violation of international standards. As of October 4, 2020, we have documented 991 cases involving HRDs currently in detention or prison. The Chinese government continues to engage in reprisals against members of civil society trying to engage with the UN human rights mechanisms, including the HRC, the UPR, Treaty Bodies and the Special Procedures. China has been cited for engaging in reprisals in the UN secretary-generals reprisals report every year since 2014. In September 2020, the latest UN reprisals report cited new incidents involving 15 individuals that were reported to OHCHR from June 2019 to April 2020. China also accepted five recommendations related to Hong Kong and one recommendation related to national security legislation, claiming that they had already been or were being implemented. Since 2018, however, China imposed a National Security Law on Hong Kong in June 2020 that does not conform with international human rights laws and standards. The Law violates the One Country, Two Systems principle, and infringes upon the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association, and it is severely undermining the citys judicial independence. According to our assessment, China has partially implemented only three recommendations. These include one recommendation on narrowing the income gap between rural and urban areas especially ethnic minority areas; one on reducing air pollution; and one on human trafficking. While we acknowledge some improvements in these areas, the three recommendations are still far from being fully implemented. The rural-urban income gap remains very wide and ethnic minorities are particularly disadvantaged. While air pollution levels in China have dropped in some cities, they remain above World Health Organization recommendations and have risen in smaller cities and rural areas. Human trafficking laws are still poorly implemented and the laws still equate trafficking with prostitution, giving a green light to human trafficking in the form of forced labour and forced marriages. Several countries made recommendations that we marked as not SMARTnot specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, or timely. In particular, these concerned Chinas ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). China signed the ICCPR in 1998. For more than two decades now, China has made no meaningful effort to work toward ratification. Instead, China has, in law and practice, seriously violated the rights stipulated in the ICCPR. Thus, recommending China to continue or further advance efforts presuppose erroneously that China had been working toward ratifying ICCPR prior to 2018. Some of these recommendations also did not demand a specific timetable for a timely ratification of ICCPR by China. Our assessment of Chinas human rights record through the lens of the UN Universal Periodic Review process confirms the grim reality that human rights in China are not improving and are not being protected. UN member states must respond. They must take strong action to address the dire human rights conditions in China. The October 13 election for HRC membership is a crucial test of UN member states commitment to human rights and a critical opportunity to support the Human Rights Councils mandate. China previously sat on the Council for four terms (2007-2009; 2010-2012; 2014-2016; 2017-2019), when it exploited every opportunity to defend human rights abusers and shield itself from scrutiny. There are five countries running for the four seats open in the Asia-Pacific block. The Chinese government cannot be trusted with decision power as a member of the worlds highest political body to uphold the highest standard of universal human rights, as our assessment clearly shows. The Chinese government has carried out cultural genocide towards ethnic Uyghurs and Tibetans, trampled on the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kongers, and dramatically reduced the space for independent civil society to act in the mainland, and systematically suppressed human rights. Voting for the Chinese government to have a seat on the HRC would harm the protection of human rights not just in China but also on a global scale. We urge UN member states to take this opportunity to hold the Chinese government accountable for its blatant disregard for human rights abuses, including suppressing critical early COVID-19 outbreak information, censoring the media, punishing whistleblowing doctors, persecuting independent journalists and critics, and kicking out foreign reporters. The Chinese government must not be awarded and encouraged for obstructing any meaningful investigation of its role in the spread of this deadly virus at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed more than one million lives worldwide and many countries are desperately struggling to control the human toll and economic impacts of the virus. We urge UN member states to take strong and effective action in response to increasing human rights violations in China and the governments failure to fully implement UPR recommendations. Voting no to Chinas bid for HRC membership would send an encouraging message to human rights defenders under assault in China and around the world. A no vote is the only principled and responsible vote to remain steadfast to commitments to protect universal human rights. Don Jr has refused to rule out running for mayor (Getty Images) President Donald Trump on Thursday poured cold water on any suggestion his son, Don Jr, could run for mayor of New York City, saying he "wouldn't have a chance of winning". "No, I hope [he doesn't run] because he couldn't win as a Republican," said Mr Trump, when asked by Fox Business host, Maria Bartiromo, if Don Jr might throw his hat into the ring in the 2021 race. Mr Trump, who appears frequently on Fox, had been discussing the elimination of cash bail in New York, a policy he claimed has "destroyed" the city. In an attempt to reduce prison populations, New York earlier this year scrapped cash bail for misdemeanor and nonviolent offenders. Vice presidential candidate and former California attorney general, Kamala Harris, has suggested the policy could be rolled out nationally should Joe Biden win November's election. "I am making a play for the whole state" -- Trump on New York, where he is currently trailing Biden by more than 30 points pic.twitter.com/QyPFLacW2A Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 8, 2020 Critics say scrapping cash bail has caused a spike in crime, arguing the reforms are too lenient for potentially dangeous individuals. Bemoaning New York's liberal leadership, Mr Trump, 74, said the only way for Republicans to take back the city and reintroduce cash bail was to put forward a candidate like Rudy Giuliani, who served as mayor from 1993 to 2001. Mr Giuliani, the president's personal lawyer and a leading figure in Republican circles, last month unveiled a two-year plan to "revive" New York and help get more GOP candidates get elected. At 76-years-old, Mr Guiliani ruled himself out of running to replace current mayor Bill De Blasio, but did not name a preferred candidate. Don Jr, 42, has been toying with the idea of running for mayor since ever since his father launched his run for the White House. Story continues I never like to rule anything out, he told CNN's State of the Union in July 2016, when asked if he would run against Mr De Blasio. We always like to keep our options open, so if I could do that as a service to my country, I would love to do that. Read more Donald Trump Jr calls for army of supporters to protect ballots Don Jr and Kimberly Guilfoyle's Paris trip cost taxpayers $64,000 Trump gives Barr ultimatum as he demands roundup of political enemies The ruling came as the US internet giant announced it was close to a deal on compensating French media groups for news shown in Google search results A Paris appeals court on Thursday upheld an order for Google to negotiate with media groups in a long-running dispute about revenues from online news. The ruling came as the US internet giant announced it was close to a deal on compensating French media groups for news shown in Google search results. Such a deal would represent a climbdown by Google, which has so far refused to comply with new EU rules giving more copyright protection to media firms for news displayed on search engines and social media. France was the first European country to ratify the law, which could act as a lifeline to newspaper groups grappling with shrinking print sales. In April, the French competition authority ordered Google to negotiate with the press in good faith -- a ruling it appealed, accusing the authority of overstepping its jurisdiction. The appeals court sided with the competition authority. Google argues it should not have to pay to display items produced by news companies since they benefit by receiving millions of visits to their websites. But in a sign that the Californian company is anxious to do a deal, it announced late Wednesday that it made the French press an offer on copyright. "We want to support journalism and ensure continued access to quality content for as many people as possible," Google France director Sebastien Missoffe said in a joint statement with French newspapers. Global pressure Struggling news outlets have long been seething at Google's failure to give them a cut of the millions it makes from ads displayed along with news search results. AFP and other groups lodged a complaint against Google with the competition regulator last November, claiming the company was not negotiating in good faith to resolve the issue. The main issue before the competition authority -- whether Google is abusing its dominant market position -- remains to be decided, in a ruling expected early next year. France is not the only country where Google has come under pressure from the government to share their revenue with local media. The Australian government has drafted a law to make Facebook and Google pay for news content they use. To try to defuse the rows, Google announced last week that it would invest $1 billion in partnerships with news publishers worldwide to develop a "Showcase" app to highlight their reporting packages. Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said Google had already signed up almost 200 publications in several countries, including Der Spiegel in Germany and Brazil's Folha de S. Paulo. The list lacked any from the United States or France, but on Wednesday Google said the new service was part of the outline deal reached with the French press. Search Keywords: Short link: Please register or log in to keep reading. No credit card required! Stay logged in to skip the surveys. A white police officer who was charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a Black man at a gas station in Wolfe City, Texas, has been fired. Jonathan Price (via Facebook) The officer, Shaun Lucas, 22, was fired Thursday for "his egregious violation of the city's and police department's policies," Wolfe City said in a news release. Lucas was one of six officers in Wolfe City, about 70 miles northeast of Dallas, all of whom are white. Lucas had been on the force since April. Before that, he worked as a jailer for the Hunt County Sheriff's Department for five months. Lucas was arrested Monday and charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Jonathan Price, 31, Saturday night at a gas station in Texas. Mayor Sharion Scott and the City Council expressed gratitude Thursday, saying in the news release that gatherings in support of Price have remained peaceful in the "tight-knit community." They said they join in mourning Price's death and the events of the past week. "We also ask that you remember our city employees, many of whom worked with both Mr. Price and Mr. Lucas as we eventually begin the work of healing our town and the community at large," the release said. Lucas had responded to a call about a fight at a Kwik Chek gas station on Santa Fe Street, the Texas Ranger Division said Monday. Lucas tried to detain Price, who had intervened after he saw a "man assaulting a woman," according to Lee Merritt, an attorney for Price's family. The Texas Rangers said that Price resisted in "a nonthreatening posture and began walking away" and that Lucas then fired a stun gun before "discharging his service weapon striking Price." Price was taken to a hospital, where he died. "The preliminary investigation indicates that the actions of Officer Lucas were not objectionably reasonable," the Texas Rangers said. Lucas's attorneys have previously said that he "only discharged his weapon in accordance with Texas law when he was confronted with an aggressive assailant who was attempting to take his" stun gun. Story continues In a statement Tuesday, one of Lucas' attorneys, Robert Rogers, said Price "did not claim to be an uninvolved, innocent party" when Lucas arrived at the scene, as Merritt has implied. On Thursday, another attorney for Lucas, John Snider, said, "Unfortunately, there is no appeal process available for Mr. Lucas to challenge the employment decision." "Mr. Lucas acted within policy and law during this entire incident," Snider said. "He attempted to detain Mr. Price and was met with physical resistance." Snider said Lucas only discharged his pistol "as a last resort." Lucas remains in jail, with bail set at $1 million. Price played football in 2008 at Hardin-Simmons University, a private Baptist college in Abilene, Texas. "Jonathan Price deserves justice by virtue of his humanity alone," Merritt said Monday before Lucas was arrested. "He was a great guy. He was a mentor. He was a hometown hero. He was a motivational speaker. He worked with kids. He did all those things that deserve praise. "But that is not why he deserves justice. He deserves justice because he was a human citizen who was not breaking the law who was gunned down by a police officer," Merritt said. 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 22:08:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ZHENGZHOU, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Shi Guoqiang, 67, has toured around China, spending his life tracing the footprints of Cang Jie, a mythical figure presumed to have invented Chinese characters about 5,000 years ago. China has a tradition of treasuring and revering Chinese characters and paper. This tradition reflects the nation's tributes to its culture and can be embodied in the respect people show to Cang Jie. Across mountains, fields, rivers, towns, and even border areas in China, people have built more than 40 tombs, shrines, and memorial temples to commemorate the figure. Shi, a researcher who studies Cang Jie culture, has visited all these sites. He believes his hometown, Nanle County in central China's Henan Province, is the birthplace of Cang Jie. The county hosts a temple of Cang Jie, and the village where the temple is located is named "Shiguan Village," as Cang Jie is believed to be the Shiguan, which in Chinese means official historian, of the Yellow Emperor, considered one of the common ancestors of all Chinese. In the temple are preserved two ancient tablets, dating back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) respectively. Characters inscribed on the Yuan Dynasty tablet record, "Cang Jie was born and buried here. It is the honor of the locals in the county." Like Shi, all his fellow villagers and the generations that lived in the village believe they are descendants of the sage. People mostly worship Cang Jie during Guyu, which literally means "grain rain," referring to the sixth of the 24 solar terms created by the ancient Chinese to carry out agricultural activities, and Cang Jie is believed to have successfully invented the Chinese characters during Guyu, Shi said. "While in Nanle County, we have been holding temple fairs to worship Cang Jie on his birthday to show closer connections with the figure, not only commemorating his feats," he said. Shi recalled on Chinese New Year's Eve when he was young, his grandfather would take him to the Cang Jie temple and tried to light the first incense stick before anyone else, which implied improvement and achievements in his studies. Such childhood memories bore the good wishes of the elderly, just as they believed the myth of Cang Jie, Shi said. Before the Chinese characters came into being, the ancestors used to record information with knotted ropes, the Eight Diagrams, pictures, and other methods, said Li Yunfu, a professor with Beijing Normal University. If Cang Jie did exist, he would be the one who collected and arranged the Chinese characters, Li said. "As one of the oldest forms of writing that derived on its own in the world, Chinese characters are the only ones that have been used till now," said Song Zhenhao, a historian with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. "Chinese characters are not only the symbol of the formation of Chinese civilization but also the root of the civilization," Li said, adding that since ancient times, Chinese characters have kept the inheritance of the Chinese civilization uninterrupted, while the stability and continuity of the Chinese civilization have made Chinese characters more vital. Enditem A cloud of smoke and ash is seen over the Grimsvotn volcano on Iceland on May 21, 2011 after its last eruption. (Getty) Icelands most active volcano may be on the verge of erupting after scientists detected increased seismic activity in the area. The Icelandic Met Office (IMO) said the seismic activity at the Grimsvotn volcano has been increasing during the past month. The Aviation Colour Code for the volcano was raised to yellow from green on 1 October. In 2011, Grimsvotn had a major eruption, causing Icelandic airspace to close and 900 flights to be cancelled. The IMO said raising the Aviation Colour Code did not mean an eruption was imminent, but added: Multiple datasets now indicate that Grimsvotn volcano has reached a level of unrest. They said ground deformation had exceeded the levels seen before the 2011 eruption. The 2010 Eyjafjallajokull eruption sent a cloud of ash over Europe causing travel chaos that led to around 100,000 flight cancellations. The air industry which has already been crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic will be fearful of another eruption causing further travel chaos. Grimsvotn is Icelands most active volcano with over 65 recorded eruptions in the past 800 years. According to scientists, Grimsvotn erupts every five to 10 years on average, with nine years since the last one. Read more: Astonishing video shows lightning storm inside Taal volcano A cloud of smoke caused by the 2011 Grimsvotn eruption which led to hundreds of flights being canceled. (Getty) Read more: Hawaii volcano creates new land after lava smothers homes and fills ocean bay It sits beneath a glacier, is almost entirely encased in ice and produces extremely high temperatures, even for a volcano. The high temperatures have led to the creation of a lake around the volcano but beneath the glacier. The water can escape when it flows south and has caused landslides and washed away bridges in the past. If all the water in the subglacial lake drains it can trigger an immediate eruption. The removal of the water dramatically reduces the pressure around the volcano, triggering an explosion - this has been the cause of eruptions in the past. Scientists have recently recorded more magma flows in the volcano leading the more ice being melted. Story continues The main force of the explosion would be absorbed by the lake and ice that the volcano sits under, meaning any ash that does escape to the surface is bogged down with moisture. This should limit the spread of any ash clouds to tens of miles rather than hundreds and cause it to fall out of the air fairly quickly. Watch: Mesmerising footage of molten lava flowing from volcano and swallowing tin can The Aviation Colour Code system is an alert system that specifically focuses on the threat of ash clouds caused by volcanic eruptions. It has four levels, green, yellow, orange and red. Another volcano, Reykjanes, was moved to yellow in January. The last time it was raised to orange was during the Bararbunga 2014-2015 eruption that sent large amounts of sulphur dioxide into the sky but did not affects flights. The 2010 Eyjafjallajokull eruption was smaller in power compared to the 2011 Grimsvotn eruption but sent much more ash into the sky. The ash clouds caused by the Eyjafjallajokull eruption led to air travel chaos for six days in April 2010 and again in May. The total losses suffered by the airline industry as a result of the explosion was estimated to be around 1.1bn. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-09 00:53:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese medical team members arrive at international airport in Angola's capital Luanda on Oct. 7, 2020. China has sent a team of medical experts to help Angola fight against the COVID-19. (Photo by Wang Le/Xinhua) LUANDA, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- A group of Chinese medical experts, who worked in the front line of the fight against the COVID-19 in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak in China, arrived in Angola on Wednesday night to exchange experience with local professionals and aid the country's fight against the pandemic. The Chinese professionals are in Angola for a 15-day intensive work in the framework of the solidarity and cooperation between the two governments to help the Southern African country fight the pandemic. Angola has already benefited from biosafety materials and laboratories from China. The Chinese specialists will provide training to Angolan doctors on clinical approach to patients with COVID-19. "We have reached a stage in the curve of the disease. We have patients in more advanced stages. Therefore, nothing better than to exchange experience in laboratories and hospitals for a better approach to patients," Angola's Secretary of State for Public Health, Franco Mufinda, said following the arrival of the Chinese specialists. The Angolan health official also highlighted the vast experience that the Chinese professionals have that can be beneficial to Angola. The Chinese ambassador to Angola, Gong Tao, emphasized the good collaboration and solidarity between the two states, which weighed heavily for the doctors of his country to come to transmit their experience in fighting, preventing and controlling the pandemic in Angola. Angola counts on 2,000 health units, most of which reserved areas for the treatment of the COVID-19 secured by specialist doctors and nurses trained to deal with pandemic cases. Angola so far has reported 5,863 positive cases, 206 deaths and 2,615 recoveries. Enditem ARHT Media Beams The Mind Architect Peter Crone From Los Angeles to Toronto to Share his Insights With YPO Maple Leaf Chapter ARHT Media captured The Mind Architect Peter Crone in ARHTs LA studio and presented him holographically for a live fireside talk with Juniper Park\TBWA CEO Jill Nykoliation at Hotel X in front of a physically distanced select audience of the YPO Maple Leaf chapter ARHT Media captured The Mind Architect Peter Crone in ARHTs LA studio and presented him holographically for a live fireside talk with Juniper Park\TBWA CEO Jill Nykoliation at Hotel X in front of a physically distanced select audience of the YPO Maple Leaf chapter TORONTO, Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ARHT Media Inc. ("ARHT" or "the Company") (TSXV:ART), the global leader in the development, production and distribution of high-quality, low latency hologram and digital content, is pleased to announce that yesterday it captured The Mind Architect Peter Crone in ARHTs LA studio and presented him holographically for a live fireside talk with Juniper Park\TBWA CEO Jill Nykoliation at Hotel X in front of a physically distanced select audience of the YPO Maple Leaf chapter (Young Presidents Organization). A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a3b8052e-61a5-4d5e-8ceb-218bec9d5789 As leaders, we cannot pause in these times, we must rise. We must keep growing and innovating, said Jill Nykoliation, CEO Juniper Park\TBWA and YPO member. We invited Peter Crone, The Mind Architect to world-class athletes, entertainers, and C-suite executives, to speak with us. Peter helps people understand and shed the limiting beliefs and subconscious narratives that shape our behaviour, relationships, our health and performance, continued Nykoliation. Peter has a strong physical presence that yet-another-video-call doesnt fully capture. We wanted him in the room, but of course the current reality makes that challenging. So we partnered with ARHT Media so Peter could join from Los Angeles to Toronto through hologram technology, continued Nykoliation. YPO is such a powerful organization and one that we have worked with on multiple occasions, said ARHT CEO Larry OReilly, they realize the incredible impact of creating a sense of being there that our live interactive HoloPresence technology is capable of providing, when the presenter is appearing remotely. Peter Crone positively impacts peoples lives, so what better way for him to connect with a group in Toronto from Los Angeles in a meaningful manner than with our platform. Story continues About ARHT Media ARHT Media's patented HoloPresence technology is a complete end-to-end solution that creates a sense of presence for audiences as though the holographic presenter was actually live in the room. With no noticeable latency, ARHT Media makes two-way live communication with a 3D holographic presenter anywhere in the world possible. We can also playback pre-recorded content and 3D animations on our HoloPresence displays to deliver rich holographic experiences. Add to this our capability to stream the same content online on our premium Virtual Global StageTM. Connect with ARHT Media Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ARHTmedia Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ARHTmediainc LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/arht-media-inc- For more information, please visit www.arhtmedia.com or contact the investor relations group at info@arhtmedia.com. ARHT Media trades under the symbol "ART" on the Toronto Venture Stock Exchange. Press Contact Salman Amin ARHT Media samin@arhtmedia.com This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, disclosure related to the Company's sales funnel; the Company's technology; the potential uses for the Company's technology; the future planned events using the Company's technology; the future success of the Company; the ability of the Company to monetize the ARHT Media technology; the development of the Company's technology; and interest from parties in ARHT's products. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: general business, economic and competitive uncertainties; regulatory risks; risks inherent in technology operations; and other risks of the technology industry. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. by Melani Manel Perera More positive cases are being reported at the Brandix Minuwangoda plant. A curfew has been imposed on 17 police divisions in Gampaha district, Western province. Schools have been closed. Almost 4,500 cases have been reported in the country with 13 deaths. The situation is evolving but a generalised lockdown has been ruled out. Colombo (AsiaNews) The apparel industry has become a new spreader for the novel coronavirus, with the cluster at the Brandix Minuwangoda plant reporting a record number of cases. In order to flatten the pandemic curve, a curfew was imposed on 17 police divisions in Gampaha district, Western province, where the plant is located and where most workers live. Local schools have suspended classes and extra-curricular activities. The total number of cases at the Minuwangoda plant reached 1,022 in just three days, with 190 cases reported yesterday afternoon. The people who contracted the virus at the plant are currently in quarantine. Sri Lanka has reported so far 4,459 cases with about 1,200 still active and 13 deaths. According to chief epidemiologist Sudath Samaraweera, 729 cases were added in a single day, including five people who returned from abroad and tested positive in their places of origin: Pallekale, Warakapola, Alauwwa and Wilgamuwa. Another nine who came into contact with people staying at the Habaraduwa quarantine centre tested positive. What we see is that this cluster is not limited to one area, Dr Samaraweera explained. As a result, there is a high risk of community transmission, so we have had to limit movement in several areas in the Gampaha district by enforcing a quarantine curfew,. The government has asked the plants staff and their families to stay home, whilst the military is preparing to move those who tested positive to quarantine centres and the sick to a hospital. However, the authorities have excluded a generalised lockdown and closure for the whole country. The latest coronavirus situation in Sri Lanka is still evolving. A curfew or lockdown will be enforced in areas only where coronavirus patients are detected, Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi told Parliament. Two days ago, a ban was imposed on large-scale meetings, conferences, parties, indoor and outdoor events, musical shows and processions, including religious ones. On Monday, public and private schools were closed for the start of a second holiday break (originally set to begin on 9 October). Catechism classes and Buddhist meetings and seminars were suspended in the Eastern, Western and North-Western provinces as well. JPMorgan Chase on Thursday announced it will commit $30 billion to fighting economic racial inequality in the country over the next five years. Systemic racism is a tragic part of Americas history, CEO Jamie Dimon said in a statement. We can do more and do better to break down systems that have propagated racism and widespread economic inequality, especially for Black and Latinx people. Its long past time that society addresses racial inequities in a more tangible, meaningful way. The massive investment is meant to drive an inclusive economic recovery, support employees and break down barriers of systemic racism, the countrys largest bank said. The New York-based banks commitment includes $14 billion for the building of 100,000 affordable rental units in underserved communities, including new construction and refurbishing existing units. Another $8 billion will go toward 40,000 new home mortgages for Black and Latino borrowers, $4 billion for mortgage refinancing, $2 billion for 15,000 loans to small businesses in Black and Latino communities, and $2 billion is philanthropic capital. Other banks have recently made similar but smaller commitments, Bank of America and Citigroup each pledging $1 billion to fighting the racial wealth gap. JPMorgan also said it plans to open new branches in underserved areas of Chicago, Los Angeles and Detroit. More from National Review 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. Chevron is asking its employees to reapply for jobs, Reuters has reported, citing unnamed sources in the know. The move is part of efforts to reduce the companys headcount by up to 15 percent globally. The supermajor said in May it planned to reduce the number of its employees by 10 to 15 percent following the oil price collapse amid the pandemic. This is a difficult decision, and we do not make it lightly, Chevron said in a statement at the time. The company employed nearly 50,000 as of the end of 2019. As of October 2020, this was down to 45,000. It is unclear how the job cuts will affect each location and business segment, Chevron added. Chevrons workforce recently increased again, after its acquisition of Noble Energy, with a headcount of 2,200. The biggest deal in oil and gas since the start of the pandemic was worth $4.1 billion in an all-stock transaction. Chevron reported a net loss of $8.3 billion for the second quarter of the year, after booking massive impairment charges caused by the industry and pandemic crisis. The net loss includes impairments and other net charges of US$1.8 billion, mostly associated with downward revisions to Chevrons commodity price outlook, which the company made in view of the demand collapse and uncertainties over the economic recovery. Given the uncertainties associated with economic recovery, and ample oil and gas supplies, we made a downward revision to our commodity price outlook which resulted in asset impairments and other charges, said Michael Wirth, Chevrons chairman of the board and CEO, at the time. Now, in an interview with Reuters, Wirth confirmed the job cut plans but did not say how many employees were to be affected by them. Wirth added that the decision will be made within a few weeks of the workers reapplying for their jobs. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads from Oilprice.com: Though the number of positive COVID-19 cases in Lynchburg and the surrounding counties continues to climb, Dr. Kerry Gateley, director of the Virginia Department of Healths Central Virginia Health District, said schools can safely welcome students back for in-person instruction. In a presentation to the Lynchburg City School Board at its Tuesday meeting, Gateley said the Central Virginia Health District which includes the city of Lynchburg and the surrounding counties has seen an increase in COVID-19 cases in the past seven days. On Friday, he said, the district broke its record of the number of cases reported in one day, with 97 cases reported. Id like to come this afternoon and bring you some good news but I cant as far as our recent trends, Gateley said. Since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in the Central Virginia Health District on March 31, the district has seen 3,589 total cases, 134 major hospitalizations and 43 deaths. Gateley said 25% of those cases were in individuals ages 20 to 29. He said a total of 184 cases were reported in the district last week. Were actually seeing a legitimate increase in the number of cases, Gateley said. Despite the increase of positive cases in Lynchburg and the surrounding counties, Lynchburg City Schools opened its doors to some pre-K through second grade students who began hybrid learning Tuesday. Last month, Lynchburg City Schools announced it would transition from its 100% remote instructional model to a hybrid instructional model, allowing families to choose to send their students back to school buildings for some in-person learning. Gateley said private schools and other school divisions in the area have successfully reopened for in-person instruction. I have not seen what I would consider a sustained classroom transmission or an outbreak, Gateley said. Amy Pugh, Lynchburg City Schools deputy superintendent, said she was on elementary school campuses Tuesday as students were arriving for the day. I did not experience a student who had any fear in their eyes or on their face, Pugh said. They were all excited to be back in their schools with their teachers. Allison Jordan, LCS director of curriculum and instruction, said she was emotional watching students arrive for the first day of in-person school. Last week, LCS launched its COVID-19 dashboard, which is updated by 3 p.m. every school day with the number of new positive COVID-19 cases reported that day. Two cases of COVID-19 were reported last week. According to the dashboards daily update, no new cases of COVID-19 were reported Monday or Tuesday. Gateley presented the school board with the Virginia Department of Healths new school metrics dashboard, a tool that school divisions are using to guide discussions regarding reopening schools. The metrics dashboard uses indicators from the Centers for Disease Control to help school divisions and communities better understand the risk of introduction and transmission of COVID-19 in schools. The CDC and VHD suggest school officials use indicators, such as the total number of new cases per 100,000 persons and the percentage of positive cases during the past 14 days, to support their decision-making and planning process for reopening schools. As of Tuesday, the dashboard indicated that for Lynchburg City Schools, the total number of new cases per 100,000 persons within the last 14 days was 304.4 and placed the division in the highest risk category for transmission in schools. The second indicator, percentage of positive cases within the last 14 days, was 6.3% as of Tuesday, placing the division in the moderate risk category. The third metric is the divisions ability to implement five mitigation strategies. The VHD suggests divisions evaluate their ability to enforce correct and consistent use of masks, social distancing, hygiene, disinfecting and contact tracing. Gateley emphasized mitigation strategies as the most important factor to reopening schools and said hes seen other school divisions and private schools in the area successfully reopen with these basic measures. School divisions have, and will, see cases of COVID-19, Gateley said, so the question becomes, how equipped are they to mitigate it. I think its doable, as long as everyone is paying attention, Gateley said Tuesday to The News & Advance. The next school board work session is scheduled for 5 p.m. Oct. 20. The next school board meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. Nov. 4. 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. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks outside Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania on Tuesday. (Alex Edelman / AFP/Getty Images) Nicole Peyton sat out the 2016 election because she didn't like President Trump's behavior and believed Hillary Clinton was "tarnished." But this year, the "conservative-leaning" homemaker plans to cast a ballot for Democrat Joe Biden. He would be a better option. Anybody's better than Trump, said Peyton, 31, who dropped out of college to have her first child. Trump is a bad example for her five kids, she said as she picked up pizza for her familys dinner on a recent Friday. Whether women like Peyton decide to back Biden could determine who wins critical battleground states such as Michigan which Trump won by 10,704 votes, or 0.23% as well as Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. The demographic denoted by pollsters as white women without a college degree overwhelmingly supported Trump in 2016, but his standing with them has fallen. Trump beat Clinton by 27 percentage points among those voters, a gap driven by enthusiasm for Trump and by voters like Peyton who stayed home because they couldnt bring themselves to vote for Clinton. Nicole Peyton, 31 (Seema Mehta / Los Angeles Times) Working-class white women still support Trump, but by a far smaller margin, recent polls show, with some giving the president an edge in the teens or single digits, including in battleground states. Other polls show Biden winning this demographic group in certain states. In Pennsylvania, where Trump won the support of white women without college degrees by 20 points in 2016, the president leads Biden by 10 points with the group, according to a Sept. 9 NBC News/Marist poll. In Wisconsin and Minnesota, where Trump handily won that electorate, he trails Biden by 9 points and 19 points respectively, according to a Sept. 16 ABC News/Washington Post poll. In Michigan, Biden leads Trump 52 to 43 among the demographic, according to a Sept. 25 NBC News/Marist poll. You cant have a working-class revolt like you did in 16 unless women are clearly part of it, said Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg. Story continues That revolt was fueled by voters in places like Paw Paw, a hamlet of 3,500 people whose skyline is dominated by the historic Van Buren County courthouse, a classical revival structure built of yellow sandstone bricks and capped with a red tile roof and an Italian Renaissance clock tower. In Van Buren County, which is 92% white and where 4 out of 5 residents dont hold a college degree, voters chose President Obama twice before flipping in 2016 to Trump. Kristal Petty, 30, is sticking with Trump, even though she said her family and community have suffered deeply in recent months. Kristal Petty, 30. (Seema Mehta / Los Angeles Times) It's been really, really rough. A lot of food pantries, a lot of making payment arrangements for bills, Petty said, as she stopped by a Dollar Tree discount store. But she blames the states Democratic governor, not Trump. The president is tremendous. He does a lot, said Petty, who is a caretaker for her father. He's 100% for Social Security and helping lower drug costs for the elderly, and that means a lot considering both my parents are diabetics and my dad has had a stroke. She said she hoped Americans would come together to sympathize for the president after his coronavirus diagnosis. "COVID doesn't discriminate. I wish President Trump a speedy recovery," Petty said. "Hopefully now everyone realizes he is human. He did not cause this." Petty said she appreciates what she considers the presidents candor, though she sometimes wished he tweeted less. In some cases I wish he wasn't as outspoken, she said. But it is refreshing to have a president that doesn't try to sugarcoat everything. Echoing the Trump campaigns message about his Democratic rival, Petty said she has no faith that Biden is capable of leading the nation. He's a laughingstock, she said. I mean, I've watched interviews with him and he fumbles over his own words, he says one thing in one interview and something completely different in another. GOP strategist Alex Conant said that Trump far exceeded expectations with working-class women such as Petty in 2016. Were not seeing that replicated this cycle, he said, adding that the president's declining support among these women is driven by two factors Trumps boorish behavior since taking office, and that for the most part these voters don't dislike Biden the way they did Clinton. Democrats are benefiting from having a nominee who doesnt have as high unfavorable ratings with working-class voters. And then the second issue is that over the last four years, Trumps tweets have really turned off a disproportionately high number of women voters, said Conant, who was polling the battleground states until the pandemic. Women are more likely to say theyre not going to support the president because they dont like his character. This is precisely the concern for Jackie, a 67-year-old retired forklift driver who declined to give her last name. She voted for Trump in 2016 but is torn about whether she will support him or Biden in November. I do not like President Trump for the fact of the way he talks and downgrades everybody. But I like how the economy was doing well before all of this happened, the Portage resident said as she ate an ice cream cone in downtown Holland, on the shore of Lake Michigan. And so, I don't have any idea what I'm going to do when I get in that voting booth. I keep going back and forth, back and forth. Trump's behavior is among the sticking points for Peyton. She watched Trump downplay the risks from the coronavirus while friends of hers contracted it and struggled with symptoms for months. And she saw the economy in this small southwestern Michigan village grind to a halt. Were all still holding our breath, Peyton said. When she first heard Trump was diagnosed with COVID-19, she questioned whether he was really sick. Once he was hospitalized, Peyton said she hoped the president learned from the experience. "It's about time he understands how serious this virus is," she said. "I really hope he recovers so that he can make right all of the wrong things he has said and done while handling this pandemic." Everything that has happened in the last week, she said, reinforced her decision to vote for Biden. Celinda Lake, a Democratic pollster advising the Biden campaign, said many working-class womens concerns have grown exponentially during the pandemic. They really, really believe COVID has threatened their families, and they see themselves as the protectors of their families, and they think he is making their job more difficult at every turn, Lake said. They have been disproportionately hit by the pandemic, with many helping their children attend virtual school while trying to work from home if their jobs even allow them to work remotely, Lake said. They have fewer resources than educated working women to outsource these duties. But working-class womens views are deeply shaped by their personal experiences trying to keep their families afloat at a time when Wall Street has recovered but Main Street hasnt, Lake said. They get the bills, they determine the healthcare plan for the family, they know what Moms nursing home costs, Lake said. The chaos that Donald Trump introduces is sitting at these womens kitchen tables right now. Its a message that Sarah Longwell, a Republican strategist who supports Biden, hears constantly from women in the focus groups she's held for two years in battleground states. Longwell said many of these women credit Trump for his pre-pandemic work on the economy and appreciate some of his policy positions such as his moves on immigration. The problem for Trump is that as coronavirus has gone on and as it has hit redder states, we have not been able to get it under control, and other countries have. People have become increasingly frustrated that this isnt over, and it makes people more willing to look for a change, Longwell said. A message she repeatedly hears, she said, is, 'This person is not doing a good job right now. Things are bad, objectively. Trump can talk about the stock market all he wants. These people feel hardship in their lives, and the stock market doing well doesnt help them. Peggy Stermer, 42, said that if the president had taken the coronavirus more seriously, the pandemic might not be as bad. The political independent, who voted for Obama but sat out 2016, lost her job at a plant that made cereal boxes and is now a caregiver for her parents. He could have not downplayed it, and not made public statements about not wearing a mask, Stermer said. I think that would have helped encourage more people to get on board or slowed the spread. Stermer didnt vote in 2016 because she was too busy, she said, but plans on casting a ballot for Biden in November. I think hell do a decent job. I dont know if hell do a great job. But he has experience being the vice president for eight years, so I think he knows how it works in Washington, she said. But mainly, I just dont want Trump for another four years. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. 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. In this comparative and hybrid study, Reginald A. Wilburn offers the first scholarly work to theorize African American authors rebellious appropriations of Milton and his canon. Wilburn engages African Americans transatlantic negotiations with perhaps the preeminent freedom writer in the English tradition. Preaching the Gospel of Black Revolt contends that early African American authors appropriated and remastered Milton by completing and complicating Englands epic poet of liberty with the intertextual originality of repetitive difference. Wilburn focuses on a diverse array of early African American authors, such as Phillis Wheatley, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Frederick Douglass, and Anna Julia Cooper. He examines the presence of Milton in their works as a reflection of early African Americans rhetorical affiliations with the poets satanic epic for messianic purposes of freedom and racial uplift. Wilburn explains that early African American authors were attracted to Milton because of his preeminent status in literary tradition, strong Christian convictions, and poetic mastery of the English language. This tripartite ministry makes Milton an especially indispensible intertext for authors whose writings and oratory were sometimes presumed beneath the dignity of criticism. Through close readings of canonical and obscure texts, Wilburn explores how various authors rebelled against such assessments of black intellect by altering Miltons meanings, themes, and figures beyond orthodox interpretations and imbuing them with hermeneutic shades of interpretive and cultural difference. However they remastered Milton, these artists respected his oeuvre as a sacred yet secular talking book of revolt, freedom, and cultural liberation. Preaching the Gospel of Black Revolt particularly draws upon recent satanic criticism in Milton studies, placing it in dialogue with methodologies germane to African American literary studies. By exposing the subversive workings of an intertextual Middle Passage in black literacy, Wilburn invites scholars from diverse areas of specialization to traverse within and beyond the cultural veils of racial interpretation and along the color line in literary studies. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Four French cities were on Thursday placed on maximum coronavirus alert, joining Paris and other metropoles where bars have been shuttered in an increasingly urgent bid to brake a fast-accelerating outbreak. The number of daily coronavirus infections came in at 18,746 in France on Wednesday, health authorities reported, a record since widespread testing began. The rate of positive test results rose to 9.1 percent from about 4.5 percent a month ago. "The health situation in France, alas, is continuing to worsen," Health Minister Olivier Veran told the nation in a live broadcast. "Every day in France, more and more people are being infected, more and more are falling ill, and more and more are suffering serious effects that require hospitalisation," he said. Veran announced that Lille, Lyon, Grenoble and Saint-Etienne would go on maximum alert level on Saturday, joining Paris, Aix-Marseille and the overseas territory of Guadeloupe. In these places, bars are closed and restaurants have to take additional safety measures that include a minimum distance between tables and registering clients' addresses to alert them if any fellow diners end up testing positive. There are also limits on public gatherings. The latest data showed that some 116 people per 100,000 are now positive for the coronavirus in France, and every 10 infected people infect 11 or 12 in turn, said Veran. The minister urged people to contribute to the braking effort by wearing face masks and keeping a safe social distance from others, even at home where there has been a concerning increase in the number of young people infecting older, more vulnerable family members. Living with the virus Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire announced that a "solidarity fund" to protect jobs and businesses will be expanded to include some 75,000 companies suffering the secondary effects of limitations on tourism, culture and sporting activitiessuch as car rental companies, florists and travel insurance. "We have to learn to live with the virus. It is here. It will not disappear overnight," Le Maire said. "We need to protect ourselves... but we also have to continue working, producing, protecting our jobs, preparing the economy of the France of tomorrow," he said. On Wednesday, President Emmanuel Macron said the country was "not in a normal situation, and we won't be for several months". Veran said pressure on hospitals in the Paris region was growing daily, with COVID patients occupying more and more intensive care beds, and other, non-urgent procedures having to be cancelled. The Paris region's ARS health authority warned of "a huge wave of cases" to come, and urged hospitals to place themselves on emergency footing and mobilise extra doctors. "We need to throw all our forces into the battle," agency chief Aurelien Rousseau told AFP. On Wednesday, 455 intensive care beds in Paris and its suburbs were occupied by COVID patientsmore than 40 percent of the total. Le Canard Enchaine newspaper, citing a confidential report to Macron, said the number was expected to surge to 85 percent by mid-November. That could prompt authorities to impose even tougher restrictions on the capital, which already requires people to wear face masks in all public spacesindoors and out. Nationwide, the number of coronavirus patients in hospital rose to 7,514 across France on Wednesday from 7,377 a day earlier, with 1,406 in intensive care. There are 5,000 intensive care beds nationwide. Also on Wednesday, authorities reported 80 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours, taking the total number for France to 32,445. The government has said it will do everything possible to avoid another generalised lockdown. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 AFP YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. The actions of Armenia and Karabakh are only for self-defenses. We have not and do not have the purpose to kill anyone. Our only purpose is to protect the Armenian people from another genocide. It is a self-defense purpose, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview to Euronews, the PMs Office told Armenpress. Below is the full text of the interview: Euronews: The UN, the Minsk Group, the EU have all called for an immediate ceasefire yet the fighting continues so can you explain to us what are you aiming to achieve here? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - You see the most important thing is that we welcomed the international community and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs acknowledgement of what has been happening. We have welcomed the statements of OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries presidents and foreign affairs ministers. Turkey has announced that Azerbaijan should not stop the hostilities. And Azerbaijan has essentially remained within the instruction given to it by Turkey. And the statement today by the EU Commissioner for External Affairs confirms this situation. Taking into consideration that there are terrorist groups fighting on [the] Azerbaijani side, which are involved in the hostilities, they are recruited and transported to the conflict zone, by Turkey. And the fact that the Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, at this very moment that I speak to you, are under an existential threat, because all the towns and villages are under constant shelling by rockets and missiles, including the capital city Stepanakert. I think the international community in this situation should decisively act now and recognize the independence of Karabakh. Euronews: Azerbaijans defense ministry has said that your forces are shelling some of its towns. We must be clear that there are civilian casualties on both sides of this, Id like to understand, are you pursuing peace? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - Absolutely, the defense army of Nagorno-Karabakh has struck, and the defense ministry of Nagorno-Karabakh, clearly explained that the strikes had to be made because nothing else was possible. It was the only way to stop the Azerbaijani rocket attacks and the missile attacks against towns and villages of Nagorno Karabakh and against civilians. Euronews: There is no consensus from either side for who is responsible for the violence starting again on September 27. You made a statement last year, your foreign minister that you were going to prepare civilian populations for peace. That is not what were seeing. Id like to understand, do what extent you feel emboldened or at least supported to act because perhaps you feel that you are supported from Russia? To what extent is that driving some of your decisions and actions? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - Peace, as always, has been our primary and ultimate goal from the day I was elected prime minister, I said we have to strive to find a solution that will be acceptable to the people of Armenia, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and the people of Azerbaijan. And I am the first leader involved in the negotiations who officially says any solution must be acceptable to the people of the other side as well. The whole problem is that Azerbaijan does not and has not accepted officially this approach. For them the only solution is through ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh, to be fully cleaned of Armenians and will fall completely under Azerbaijani control. This is a threat of genocide. Today international terrorists are involved in the implementation of that genocide. They were recruited, brought to the region by Turkey. They are fighting on the side of Azerbaijan. And this fact has essentially been recognized already by countries in the region and a number of European countries. So I wish to highlight, if we want to stop the humanitarian catastrophe, if we want to stop this conflict growing any wider, the international community needs to show determination and recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh. Euronews: The international community is also looking to your actions and we must stress that there are civilian casualties on both sides. People have died in Azerbaijan as a result of actions that you have overseen. What measures are you taking to try to limit the suffering of people caught up in this violence? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - Going back to your previous question, its very important to set the record clear, asked as to who unleashed this attack. And I think in the international media and amongst the international community, there is sufficient information Armenia and Karabakh could not start this war for the simple reason that we have no military tasks to accomplish here. The task we have is a political one. Azerbaijan is the one, which in the last 15 years and in the last 15 days before this war, please allow me to finish. And in the 15 days preceding the war and I am answering your question, if you will give me a minute, please. In the 15 years preceding the war, the 15 months, 15 weeks, 15 days and 15 hours preceding the war, Azerbaijan has constantly threatened that it will solve this issue by military means. This is no secret. Let us publicly analyze the statements, which were made by Azerbaijan and Turkey. Let us analyze publicly why terrorists had to brought to Azerbaijan to the line of contact. What other purpose could there be in recruiting terrorists from another country, bringing them to ones country? If that country is not planning a military aggression, why would Azerbaijan agree to terrorists being transported to its territory? But we think that the most important thing today is to stop violence. And for this, Azerbaijan needs to stop its attacks if they want peace in the region. And the best tool for it, in our opinion, is the international communitys recognition of the independence of Karabakh. Euronews: Are you prepared to stop the attacks? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - Yes, of course. But, this does not mean that we would wait then they would come and commit genocide on our people. We have not attacked anyone. Our actions and the actions of Karabakh are only for self-defenses. We have not and do not have the purpose to kill anyone. Our only purpose is to protect the Armenian people from another genocide. It is a self-defense purpose. Euronews: What would be an acceptable resolution for you? Is there a different way of finding a resolution to this conflict which doesnt involve violence? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - Our position has been and remains that the Karabakh issue can not be solved through violence. Any solution cannot be achieved through violence. But Azerbaijans policy has been a plan to violently solve the Karabakh issue. Armenia has always been ready for compromise. Azerbaijan is the one which does not in any way want any compromise. They do not want compromise. Their only solution is that the Armenians of Karabakh, who always have been 80 plus per cent of the population of Karabakh, should be displaced and they are going to get Karabakh through ethnic cleansing and that area becomes free of Armenians and a non-Armenian inhabited area. These people cannot just leave their thousands of years homelands just because Azerbaijan demands so, they have to defend themselves and they have that right to self-defense. There is no other aim for Nagorno Karabagh here, but self-defense. Euronews: Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, thank you for the interview. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan Thank you, too. Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence participate in Wednesday's vice presidential debate in Salt Lake City. (Getty Images) Kamala Harris courtroom skills prevailed, Mike Pences bloodshot eye astounded, and a fly stole the show Wednesday night during the first and only vice presidential debate of 2020. Following one of the most extraordinarily turbulent weeks in the history of U.S. politics and the presidency, the California senator and sitting vice president met at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and tried to achieve the impossible in Trumpian times: discussing policy in a civil manner. Seated 12 feet apart, separated by two plexiglass shields and markedly different worldviews, the diametrically opposed candidates answered questions posed by the moderator and Washington bureau chief for USA Today, Susan Page. We want a debate that is lively, but Americans also deserve a discussion that is civil and about the big issues facing our nation, said Page at the top of the broadcast, though she likely planned for much worse given the catastrophe that was last weeks presidential debate. What she got instead was the most normal political function we'd seen since disrupting custom and flouting the Constitution became the norm at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. In the time-honored Washington tradition of male candidates treating their female opponents like subordinates, and men dismissing women in boardrooms and office cubicles across the country, Pence continually interrupted Harris, stepping on her time and steamrolling through Page in the process. Kamala Harris and Mike Pence (Associated Press) But Harris was having none of that. Mr. Vice President, Im speaking, Harris said repeatedly, stopping him in his tracks when Page's ineffectual thank yous to Pence could not do the job. At one point, Harris explicitly demanded that she be given equal time after yet another of Pence's successful attempts to filibuster past the two-minute time limit. Pences tone was calm and reasonable in comparison to his boss bullhorn offensive last week, but Harris still had to walk the same impossible line Hillary Clinton did in 2016 when she ran against Donald Trump. Story continues California's former attorney general had to outmaneuver Pence and contend with a double standard often used against women who run for office: Dont be too aggressive, but dont appear weak. Act strong, but not so strong that you threaten male voters. Eviscerate him, but dont be a bitch. And whatever happens, dont forget to smile! Harris, the first Black woman and South Asian to be nominated on a major party ticket, sailed through the debate with aplomb. A skilled cross-examiner, she nailed Pence the head of the administration's pandemic task force on the White Houses appalling COVID-19 response, threw Trumps $750 tax payment in the vice presidents lap, asked why the president had refused to condemn white supremacy, and flatly refused to partake in Pences flat-Earth notion that climate change isnt a real threat. Youre entitled to your own opinion; you're not entitled to your own facts, Pence said repeatedly to Harris, plagiarizing the line from former Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan to deflect the Trump administrations own slippery relationship with the facts. A fly rests on the head of Vice President Mike Pence during the debate against Sen. Kamala Harris. (Associated Press) He was still and composed, perhaps in an effort to convey stability while Trump rage-tweeted back at the COVID-plagued White House. But Pence already looked beat down when he arrived on stage. Social media ran wild with theories about his condition, positing that he might become the next person in Trumps orbit to test positive for the coronavirus, or teeing up jokes about The Walking Dead and untested vaccines. Pence was so still, in fact, that a single fly landed on his white hair and sat there for a good two minutes, uninterrupted. Before the debate was through, the fly ended up with its own Twitter account, accolades from political pundits and a place in the annals of American debate history, somewhere between Richard Nixons sweaty brow and Paul Ryans incessant gulping of water while debating Joe Biden in 2012. What differentiated this face-off, of course, was the fact that the debate took place on a night when theres crime scene tape around the White House, as CNN's Anderson Cooper said moments before the 90-minute event streamed live and commercial-free across multiple networks and platforms. At least 27 people in Trumps circle had tested positive for the coronavirus by Wednesday night, including the president, who announced he had COVID-19 early last Friday. He was subsequently airlifted to the hospital, where he spent three mysterious days before returning to the White House and proclaiming that Americans should not be scared of the disease despite the medical science and 210,000 dead Americans that tell us otherwise. But during Wednesday's debate, when Pence tried to claim the pandemic was under control and that Trump had done a great job protecting Americans, Harris was ready with a rebuttal. The pandemic is not turning a corner, she argued, and the administration did not protect the people they vowed to serve. The president said it was a hoax. They minimized the seriousness of it. They still don't have a plan," she said. This administration has forfeited their right to reelection based on this. No matter how many times he "politely" talked over her, patronized, offered prayers instead of factual policy or allowed a fly (not Harris) uninterrupted time on stage, Pence still left the debate as an embattled member of an imploding administration. Harris left the victor. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Hinckley, Maine, Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The gala will go on! The Third Annual Good Will-Hinckley Fall Gala will be held virtually on Facebook Live at 6 p.m. Saturday, October 17. For the first time, the event will be free and open to the publicto showcase the mission, history and operations of the Maine-based non-profit, which offers therapeutic residential treatment and dynamic, educational resources for Maine children and young adults. The Gala gives us a chance to show people what were all about: Educating Youth. Changing Lives, says GWH President Rob Moody. Obviously were doing things a bit differently this year, but were helping just as many kids get back on their feet. I think its really important for us to tell our story: That this is a special place where people can turn their lives around and build lasting relationships they can rely on for years to come. The Gala is meant to celebrate that. After the success of the event the last two years, which combined raised more than $90,000 for the organizations Campus Living Program, GWH felt duty-bound to host the Fall Galaeven though it took a virtual pivot to do so. According to Moody, the Fall Gala is also about honoring those who make invaluable contributions to the organization. The 2020 Honorary Chair will be former student Jeremy Greene, who was just signed by country superstar Rascal Flatts to record his next album. Former CEO Glenn Cummings, a true champion of GWHs work, will bestow the Helping Hands Award on a couple thats shown integrity, vision, leadership and compassion for the GWH mission. Also, GWH alumni, Jeanie Davis (class of 1952) will speak about campus life while she was a student. Students will then give a virtual tour of the organizations student-living cottages. The auction will be hosted online through the Charity Auctions Today website. Bids will be accepted October 11-18. All proceeds will go towards GWHs Campus Living program. There will also be a text-to-give option for those interested in donating to the program (text HOPE to 800-784-0341). Sponsors and partners of the event include Sappi, a global provider of sustainable wood fiber products and solutions; as well as Trueline, a Portland-based marketing agency. About Good Will-Hinckley The Fall Gala captures much of what has made Good Will-Hinckley an important institution in the lives of young Mainers for more than 130 years. No matter the challenge, the chargeEducating Youth. Changing Livesis powerful enough to overcome it. And so too are the many people who continue to make that possible. To learn more about GWHs 2020 Fall Galaincluding sponsorship opportunitiesplease visit www.gwh.org/fall-gala. For more information about Good Will-Hinckley, go to www.gwh.org. Attachment Economic stimulus checks are prepared for printing at the Philadelphia Financial Center May 8, 2008 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jeff Fusco/Stringer While Trump said that stimulus talks should end immediately, that doesn't mean another $1,200 check is off the table. Both Senate Republicans and House Democrats have brought forward second stimulus plans, but none have been signed into law. Trump's recent comments decrease the likelihood of a speedy resolution resulting in a round of $1,200 payments being sent out before the election. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump sent out a series of tweets instructing his team to cease stimulus negotiations until after the election. Trump said that the Senate should instead focus on confirming his Supreme Court pick, Amy Coney Barrett. Meanwhile, Americans who had been following the months-long stimulus negotiation talks, hoping that a resolution would be reached before the election, could only watch as the news impacted the stock market and questions swirled. To bring you up to speed on the latest, we've recapped what it all means for those hoping for another round of direct payments sooner rather than later and summarized the timeline that led up to this point. What it all means for a second round of $1,200 direct payments In short, the likelihood of a further delay in any further rounds of direct payments just increased. While the promise of a second check is not dead yet, the road toward a speedy resolution just took a hard left turn. Unless Trump switches toward supporting a deal instead of a pause on negotiation talks, any timeline toward a deal that would result in direct payments has likely been extended even further. So how did we get here? For those looking to understand how this all fits into the broader events of the last seven months, here are the key developments leading up to the president's statements on Tuesday. March On March 25, the Senate passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provided funds for PPE for healthcare workers, loans for small businesses, and unemployment benefits. The $1,200 stimulus checks and extra $600/week in benefits were a result of the bill. Story continues July On July 31, the benefits lapsed without a follow-up deal, and the $600/week payments ended amid fierce disagreements between Republicans and Democrats. The $1,200 checks had been sent out, and recipients has already used the funds. August On August 8, Trump allocated $44 billion to FEMA for grants that would allow states to continue to pay out a weekly unemployment benefit if they applied for grant money. Every state besides South Dakota applied for the funds. September Negotiations around a possible follow-up deal continued. Both House Democrats and Republicans brought forward various plans, but they failed to reach a deal by the beginning of the month. On September 8, Republicans proposed a stimulus package with a $300/week unemployment benefit through December 27, though it excluded second round of direct payments. Democrats blocked the bill, saying it was insufficient. Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized the plan saying, "Senate Republicans appear dead-set on another bill which doesn't come close to addressing the problems and is headed nowhere." Negotiations between Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin restarted, and he later said that no bill would pass without another $1,200 check included. October On October 1, House Democrats passed a plan that would include another $1,200 check, and a $600/week unemployment benefit through January. The plan faced an uncertain future though, as it would still require Senate approval. This brings us to Tuesday night, when Trump said that any and all stimulus talks should end immediately, but he would sign a stand-alone bill for another round of $1,200 checks. The instructions made the status of the ongoing negotiations between Speaker Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin uncertain. Read the original article on Business Insider Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Drugs smuggled from the Nepal border was seized by DRI, Indore Zonal Unit. Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], October 8 (ANI): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Indore Zonal Unit has seized narcotic substances from two cars travelling to Chennai and arrested seven persons here in connection with the violation of the provisions of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS). The police informed that 117 kg Hashish, which was seized from the vehicles, was smuggled from Nepal border. "Working on an intelligence source, officers of DRI Indore and DRI Bhopal, with support of Narsinghpur Police, in a day and night operation, intercepted one Renault Duster and one Tata Zest bearing registration numbers of Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh respectively, and seized Narcotic drugs, said an official statement from police," police said in a statement on Thursday. These vehicles were coming from Uttar Pradesh with Hashish concealed in specially designed and built cavities inside. They both were destined for Chennai and were intercepted by the DRI and Narsinghpur Police on North-South Corridor highway at Narsinghpur. The DRI mentioned that this is one of the biggest seizure of Hashish in recent years and further investigation is underway. (ANI) 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. Jaipur: Saying that a change in Pakistans mindset is needed for a positive outcome of relations with India, a noted expert on Friday opined, unless this change happens, dialogues will not yield any result. Pakistan is searching for its identity. Anti-India is in Pakistans DNA. In context of relations with India, Pakistan needs to change its mindset. Till it does not change its mindset, I do not think much is going to come out of any dialogue, Tilak Devashar, an expert on the issue whose book Pakistan-Courting the Abyss was released in Jaipur, said. He said dialogue must happen, but Pakistan should be positive. Pakistan largely depends on the Indus river system for water and the country is looking at a water crisis, Devashar said, warning that the situation may lead to immigration from that country. The writer, who was a special secretary in the Government of India, claimed that the recruitment pattern of the Pakistani Army had changed. Recruitments were from the region from where non-State organisations and terror outfits also recruited their men, he said. He said the spurring of terrorism in the region and the army domination in Pakistan were responsible for not bringing about a change in the mindset that has led the country to the abyss. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Kleine said Wednesday that he and others in the County Attorney's Office have reviewed the facts of the case, and he's comfortable with what he said. "I didn't change who Don Kleine is today," he said. "You get what you get with me." He also made plain he's a part of his new team, saying he cast an early ballot Wednesday for President Donald Trump. He also endorsed Bacon in his 2nd Congressional District race against Democrat Kara Eastman. Fischer said Wednesday: "(Kleine) is respected by Republicans and Democrats across this state because he is a man of integrity." Ricketts tried to tie Kleine's party switch to the GOP's push for "law and order," citing the Democrats' resolution as evidence of growing hostility toward law enforcement, something Democrats have denied. Nearby, Sgt. Anthony Conner, president of the Omaha police union, nodded. Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb said in a statement Wednesday that Democrats win elections "when we stand up for our values and stand with communities that are hurting." Please register or log in to keep reading. No credit card required! Stay logged in to skip the surveys. A township worker in Michigan was injured while trying to remove a Trump-Pence sign that was lined with razor blades, officials say. A 52-year-old building inspector in Commerce Township tried to remove two political yard signs in support of President Donald Trump that were too close to the road, Oakland County Sheriffs Office said in a news release. In the township, political signs must be at least 33 feet from the center of the road the signs were nine feet too close, according to police. When the inspector tried to remove the first sign, he was cut by several razor blades that were taped along the bottom edge, police said. Michigan officials say a township worker was injured while trying to remove a Trump-Pence political sign that was lined with razor blades. Michigan officials say a township worker was injured while trying to remove a Trump-Pence political sign that was lined with razor blades. He pulled over, reached down to grab it. ... He actually thought it was electrified, Commerce Township supervisor Dave Scott told The Detroit News. He jumped and let go of it, looked at his hand and realized he was bleeding aggressively. Officials said the man drove himself to a hospital where he received 13 stitches along his fingertips, police said. The woman who owns the home told police shed recently had several Trump signs stolen from her yard but that some signs had been returned. She told police she didnt know razor blades were taped to the edge, WDIV reported. The Oakland County Sheriffs Office took the two signs which were both taped with razor blades and is investigating the incident. Township officials say they may pursue legal action, according to WDIV. You cant booby trap signs with the intent to hurt someone, Scott told WJBK. You know, Ive seen signs that have been tied to a tree, chained to a fence post or a mailbox, preventing them from being removed. This was simply laid out to hurt someone and it did. Commerce Township is roughly 35 miles northwest of Detroit. A nurse checks the temperature of a patient with coronavirus in Stebnyk, western Ukraine, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. As coronavirus cases increase, every bed in the hospital in this city in western Ukraine is in use and its chief doctor is watching the surge with alarm and anguish. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Coronavirus infections in Ukraine began surging in late summer, and the ripples are now hitting towns like Stebnyk in the western part of the country, where Dr. Natalia Stetsik is watching the rising number of patients with alarm and anguish. "It's incredibly difficult. We are catastrophically short of doctors," says Stetsik, the chief doctor at the only hospital in the town of 20,000 people. "It's very hard for a doctor to even see all the patients." The hospital is supposed to accommodate 100 patients, but it's already stretched to the limit, treating 106 patients with COVID-19. Early in the pandemic, Ukraine's ailing health care system struggled with the outbreak, and authorities introduced a tight lockdown in March to prevent hospitals from getting overwhelmed. The number of cases slowed during the summer but began to rise again quickly, prompting the government at the end of August to close Ukraine's borders for a month. Despite that, the number of positive tests in the country reached a new peak of 4,661 a day in the first weekend of October. Overall, COVID-19 infections in the country have nearly doubled in the past month, topping 234,000. "The number of patients is rising, and an increasing share of them are in grave condition," Stetsik told The Associated Press of the situation in Stebnyk, a quiet town in the Lviv region. "The virus is becoming more aggressive and more difficult to deal with." Medical workers look at an X-ray of lungs at a hospital in Stryi, Ukraine, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. Coronavirus infections in Ukraine began surging in late summer, and the ripples are hitting towns in the western part of the country. The government wants to avoid imposing a new lockdown, but officials acknowledge that the rising infections could make it necessary. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) She said many of those doing poorly are in their 30s, adding that an increasing number of them need expensive medication. "There is a similar situation across entire Ukraine," she said, adding that hospitals have run out of funds to provide drugs, forcing patients in some areas to buy their own. The World Health Organization warns that the number of infections in Ukraine could continue to grow and reach 7,000-9,000 a day. The government wants to avoid imposing a new lockdown, but officials acknowledge that the rising number of infections could make it necessary. It has sought to introduce a more flexible approach to minimize the economic damage, dividing the country into various zones, depending on the pace of infections. At a meeting Monday with officials in Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy chastised them for failing to do enough to slow the spread and taking too long to provide necessary supplies. Dr. Oleh Hornostayev speaks to a coronavirus patient at the hospital in Stryi, Ukraine, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. Coronavirus infections in Ukraine began surging in late summer, and the ripples are hitting towns in the western part of the country. The government wants to avoid imposing a new lockdown, but officials acknowledge that the rising infections could make it necessary. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) "We spend weeks on doing things that must be done within days," he said. Zelenskiy specifically urged them to move faster on ensuring that hospitals have enough supplementary oxygen, noting that only about 40% of beds for COVID-19 patients have access to it. Ukraine's corruption-ridden economy has been drained by a six-year conflict with Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country, and Zelenskiy's administration inherited health care reforms from his predecessor that slashed government subsidies, leaving hospital workers underpaid and poorly equipped. Last month, Zelenskiy ordered the government to increase wages for medical workers. Official statistics show that 132 medical workers have died from the coronavirus, although the figure doesn't include those who tested negative but had symptoms typical for COVID-19. Dr. Oleh Hornostayev walks through a corridor at the hospital in Stryi, Ukraine, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. Coronavirus infections in Ukraine began surging in late summer, and the ripples are hitting towns in the western part of the country. The government wants to avoid imposing a new lockdown, but officials acknowledge that the rising infections could make it necessary. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) One of them was Ivan Venzhynovych, a 51-year-old therapist from the western town of Pochaiv, who described the challenges of dealing with the outbreak in an interview with the AP in May. Venzhynovych died last week of double pneumonia, which his colleagues believed was caused by the coronavirus, even though he tested negative for it. "He certainly had COVID-19," said Venzhynovych's widow, Iryna, a doctor at the hospital where he worked. "There are many infections among medical workers, some of them confirmed and others not." The government pays the equivalent to $56,000 to families of medical workers who die from the coronavirus. But Venzhynovych's widow can't receive the payment because he tested negative. As the number of infections soars, many lawmakers and top officials are testing positive, including former President Petro Poroshenko, who was hospitalized in serious condition with virus-induced pneumonia. Dr. Oleh Hornostayev speaks to a coronavirus patient at a hospital intensive care unit in Stryi, Ukraine, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. Coronavirus infections in Ukraine began surging in late summer, and the ripples are hitting towns in the western part of the country. The government wants to avoid imposing a new lockdown, but officials acknowledge that the rising infections could make it necessary. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Medical professionals want the government to bring back a sweeping lockdown, pointing to the scarce resources for the health care system. "It's possible that Ukraine would need to return to a tight quarantine like in the spring. The number of patients is really big," said Dr. Andriy Gloshovskiy, a surgeon at the hospital in Stebnyk. He blamed the new infections on public negligence. "People are quite careless, and I feel sorry that they aren't impressed by numbers," he said. Gloshovskiy said he had to switch to treating COVID-19 patients because of the personnel shortage. "I had to change my specialty because my colleagues simply wouldn't be able to cope with it without me," he said. Health Minister Maxim Stepanov acknowledged that the shortage of doctors and nurses is a big problem. "We may increase the hospital capacity and improve oxygen supply, but we could just be simply short of doctors," he said. "Every system has its limit." A patient with coronavirus breathes with an oxygen mask in a hospital intensive care unit in Stryi, Ukraine, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. Coronavirus infections in Ukraine began surging in late summer, and the ripples are hitting towns in the western part of the country. The government wants to avoid imposing a new lockdown, but officials acknowledge that the rising infections could make it necessary. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) A medical worker speaks to a coronavirus patient at a hospital in Stebnyk, Ukraine, on Tuesday, Sept. 29 2020. As coronavirus cases increase, every bed in the hospital in this city in western Ukraine is in use and its chief doctor is watching the surge with alarm and anguish. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) A medic prepares a coronavirus patient for a lung X-ray at a hospital in Stryi, Ukraine, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. Coronavirus infections in Ukraine began surging in late summer, and the ripples are hitting towns in the western part of the country. The government wants to avoid imposing a new lockdown, but officials acknowledge that the rising infections could make it necessary. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) A medical worker walks past a room as a coronavirus patient watches TV at a hospital in Stebnyk, Ukraine, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. As coronavirus cases increase, every bed in the hospital in this city in western Ukraine is in use and its chief doctor is watching the surge with alarm and anguish. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) A nurse, center, moves a bed with a coronavirus patient in a hospital intensive care unit in Stryi, western Ukraine, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. Coronavirus infections in Ukraine began surging in late summer, and the ripples are hitting towns in the western part of the country. The government wants to avoid imposing a new lockdown, but officials acknowledge that the rising infections could make it necessary. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Medical workers help each other don protective suits at a hospital in Stebnyk, Ukraine, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. As coronavirus cases increase, every bed in the hospital in this city in western Ukraine is in use and its chief doctor is watching the surge with alarm and anguish. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) In this May 1, 2020, file photo, Dr. Ivan Venzhynovych speaks to The Associated Press after morning rounds with coronavirus patients at a hospital in Pochaiv, Ukraine. Venzhynovych later died of double pneumonia, which his colleagues believed was caused by the virus even though he tested negative for it. "He certainly had COVID-19," said Venzhynovych's widow, Iryna, a doctor at the hospital where he worked. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File) Medical workers move the body of a patient who died from the coronavirus at a hospital in Stebnyk, Ukraine, on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020. As coronavirus cases increase, every bed in the hospital in this city in western Ukraine is in use and its chief doctor is watching the surge with alarm and anguish. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) A medical worker checks on a coronavirus patient with a stethoscope, seen through a window at the hospital in the village of Toporivtsi, Ukraine, on Friday, Oct. 2, 2020. Coronavirus infections in Ukraine began surging in late summer, and the ripples are hitting towns in the western part of the country. The government wants to avoid imposing a new lockdown, but officials acknowledge that the rising infections could make it necessary. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) A medical worker collects a sample for COVID-19 testing from a woman outside a hospital in the village of Toporivtsi, Ukraine, on Friday, Oct. 2, 2020. Coronavirus infections in Ukraine began surging in late summer, and the ripples are hitting towns in the western part of the country. The government wants to avoid imposing a new lockdown, but officials acknowledge that the rising infections could make it necessary. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) A nurse transports a patient with COVID-19 in a wheelchair at a hospital in Stebnyk, Ukraine, on Wednesday, Sept. 30 2020. As coronavirus cases increase, every bed in the hospital in this city in western Ukraine is in use and its chief doctor is watching the surge with alarm and anguish. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Dr. Oleh Hornostayev closes an elevator door going into a red zone at the city hospital in Stryi, Ukraine, on Tuesday, Sept. 29 2020. Coronavirus infections in Ukraine began surging in late summer, and the ripples are hitting towns in the western part of the country. The government wants to avoid imposing a new lockdown, but officials acknowledge that the rising infections could make it necessary. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) A tight lockdown would be a severe blow to the already weakened economy, Stepanov said, warning that authorities could be forced to do it anyway. "If the situation takes a menacing turn, the Health Ministry would propose to return to tough quarantine measures," he said. At the Stebnyk hospital, some patients said they only realized the coronavirus threat after falling ill. "I didn't believe in its existence until I became infected," said 43-year-old Natalia Bobyak. "When I got here I saw that people get sick en masse." Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. South Africa: Cele calls for more arrests in Senekal protests Police Minister General Bheki Cele has welcomed the arrest of the first suspect involved in violent demonstrations by a group of farmers outside the Senekal Magistrates Court in the Free State. This as chaotic scenes unfolded outside the court building, following a court appearance by two suspects accused of the murder of farm manager, Brandon Horner. Celes spokesperson, Lirandzu Themba said the Minister is encouraged that a 52-year-old man has been arrested for his role in the demonstrations. The man is said to be a farmer in Marquad but resides in Senekal and will be charged with malicious damage to property and public violence. However, the Minister would like to see more action taken. Cele is calling for more arrests as it is clear the criminality that took place was a collective act that threatened the rule of law, Themba added. In Tuesdays incident, a police van was overturned and set alight.during the protest by farmers, who gathered outside the court, demanding justice for Horners murder. Two suspects had appeared in court for the brutal killing of the DeRots Farm manager. A crowd stormed into the court building demanding the accused be handed over to them. The farmers also vandalised the court property. In a tweet, Themba announced that she has been receiving threatening calls since the incident. It is worrying that I continue to receive abusive and insulting and racist phone calls from anon[anonymous] people and some identify themselves as farmers from Senekal. These calls are being taken seriously and are being looked into by [the police], Themba tweeted. The suspects, Sekwetje Isaiah Mahlamba, 32 and Sekola Piet Matlaletsa, 44, remain in custody. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-10-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) Nearly half of war-torn Afghanistans 18,000 schools lack proper buildings and an estimated 3.7 million school-aged children are still out of school despite massive investment in the countrys education sector, the World Bank says. The report comes as representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban hold intra-Afghan peace negotiations in Qatar. The negotiations are meant to map out Afghanistans future after a U.S.-Taliban peace deal signed in February. In a school on the outskirts of Kabul, 1,700 students in grades 1-6 dont have proper classrooms, safe drinking water or sanitary restrooms. Principal Fazel Rahim says that at his Allah Gul Mujahid primary school just east of the Afghan capital, there are only six teachers and several classes must be combined to be taught by a single teacher. He has been unable to get the attention of the Ministry of Education or others in the Kabul-based government, despite almost six years of attempting to provide classrooms, well-trained teachers, enough text books and other necessities for a proper learning environment for his students. They study in open area," he told The Associated Press. We dont have enough tents to provide them with a proper place to study, but still with all these difficulties we are trying to provide them some opportunity to learn something. Henry Kerali, the World Banks country director for Afghanistan, said in a blog that despite the challenges in the war-ravaged country, the quality of education has improved. The number of children enrolled in schools increased from 3.8 million in 2003 to 6.3 million in 2017, he said. Nooria Nazhat, spokeswoman for the Afghan Education Ministry, said that of the 3.7 million children who do not attend school, 60% are girls. She said the reasons for Afghan kids not attending include the war, poverty and conservative traditional beliefs. Nazhat said 46% of schools are without proper buildings. "Right now, construction work on 2,700 school buildings is underway, but our target is for 6,000 new buildings for schools, she said. Story continues Rahim said when the Allah Gul Mujahid school was established six years ago a member of parliament provided 10 tents and around 170 chairs and desks. The Education Ministry two years later provided 10 additional tents and a few plastic carpets. Since then, no one has provided anything for the school, he said. The ministry website says more than 5,000 schools in Afghanistan are without usable buildings, boundary walls, safe drinking water or sanitation facilities. The most important elements for education are buildings, trained teachers and school (supplies), so if we dont have buildings the other two elements are waisted, said Nasir Ahmad Mullahzada, district 12 education department director in Kabul. More than 450 schools are closed or have been damaged in the past two years, resulting in 300,000 students deprived of schooling, the ministry website says. Kerali said Sunday that the children who are enrolled in schools are not learning much, partly because their teachers do not have the necessary skills or knowledge. Data from 2013 shows that 93% of 10-year-old Afghan children cannot read a simple text when they finish primary school. This is higher than the average for the South Asia region, 59%," he said. Currently, 67% of school-age boys and 48% of school-age girls are enrolled in school, according to the World Bank, citing the UNESCO Institute of Statistics. The World Bank says Afghanistan needs to strengthen its governance by increasing transparency in budget spending, teacher recruitment and merit-based appointment in education. In a file photo taken on September 9, 2018 Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers salute as they ride tanks during a military parade and mass rally on Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang. AFP-Yonhap North Korea could unveil newly developed strategic weapons, such as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), during this week's widely expected military parade in a bid to strengthen internal unity amid economic difficulties, the unification ministry said Thursday. Other new weapons the North could show off include a transporter erector launcher vehicle and a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), the ministry said in a report to the parliamentary audit. The parade is expected to take place Saturday to mark the 75th anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party. "North Korea is expected to stage a large-scale military parade and other events to mark the 75th party founding anniversary this week in a bid to consolidate unity and close ranks behind the party," the ministry said. "There is a possibility that North Korea will unveil new strategic weapons, such as new intercontinental ballistic missiles or submarine-launched ballistic missiles, to draw attention at a time when its economic achievements have been sluggish," it added. North Korea tends to mark every fifth or 10th anniversary with larger-scale events, such as military provocations, including missile launches, or parades of troops, newly developed strategic weapons and other military hardware. Annotated satellite images show troops and buses outside the April 25 Hotel at the Mirim Parade Training Ground (top) and troop formations practicing at a replica of Kim Il Sung Square ahead of the 75th founding anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korea October 6, 2020. Pictures were taken October 6, 2020. REUTERS-Yonhap Award Extends Partnership That Has Created Industry-Leading Solutions Concurrent Technologies Corporations work in this area includes developing prototype ammunition incorporating advanced manufacturing technologies for the U.S. Army. (CTC photo) Concurrent Technologies Corporations work in this area includes developing prototype ammunition incorporating advanced manufacturing technologies for the U.S. Army. (CTC photo) Johnstown, PA, Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) has been awarded a nearly $11 million contract to develop and evaluate enhanced ammunition for the U.S. Army. The U.S. Army, Project Manager Maneuver Ammunition Systems (PM MAS) and U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center (CCDC AC) awarded the competitively bid, three-year contract through the DoD Ordnance Technology Consortium (DOTC). We have supported this client for many years, developing industry-leading engineering solutions for small caliber ammunition spanning research and development, testing, technology transition and implementation, said Edward J. Sheehan, Jr., CTC President and CEO. Our engineers, scientific experts, technicians, and project managers have in-depth experience and are eager to continue their support of this important mission to improve performance, increase manufacturing efficiencies, and reduce environmental impacts in the manufacture of the militarys small caliber ammunition. CTC will develop and evaluate multiple prototype solutions to enhance performance, affordability, and environmental effects in small caliber ammunition and components. Our team will perform engineering and prototyping for new small caliber projectiles, cases, and components to evaluate the technical and manufacturing feasibility of advanced manufacturing technologies and utilize integrated modeling, simulation, and finite element analysis (FEA) in prototype development and scale up. We are very proud of our award-winning work in this area, which includes providing engineering services, integration of advanced manufacturing techniques, and development of innovative prototypes, said Lori Denault, CTC Principal Mechanical Engineer. Story continues In 2018, the National Armaments Consortium and DOTC recognized CTC for Outstanding Technical Achievement for its innovative approach to manufacturing ammunition that simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces the total cost of ownership and manufacturing footprint, increases performance, and reduces weight. Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) is an independent, nonprofit, applied scientific research and development professional services organization. Together with our affiliates, Enterprise Ventures Corporation and CTC Foundation, we leverage research, development, test and evaluation work to provide transformative, full lifecycle solutions. To best serve our clients needs, we offer the complete ability to fully design, develop, test, prototype and build. We deliver robust, technical, and innovative solutions that safeguard our national security, retain U.S. technological advantage, and ensure the primacy of American manufacturing. For more information about CTC, visit www.ctc.com. Attachment CONTACT: Mary Bevan Concurrent Technologies Corporation 814-248-9917 BevanM@ctc.com Surgeon general Jerome Adams was cited for violating emergency orders in Hawaii to enter a closed state park and take pictures (AP) The US surgeon general, Dr Jerome Adams, was cited in Honolulu, Hawaii earlier this year after he entered a state park that had been closed due to the coronavirus so that he could take photos. Mr Adams was cited for violating the mayor of Honolulu's emergency orders. Lex Smith, an attorney representing Mr Adams, told the Associated Press that the surgeon general was not seeking special treatment and that the incident was rooted in a misunderstanding. "During his visit to Oahu, the surgeon general was cited for accidentally violating the state's emergency order, due to his misunderstanding of the law," the attorney said. "He has not asked for, nor has he received, any special treatment in connection with this citation, and will respond appropriately." Both the surgeon general and his aide, Dennis Anderson-Villaluz, were cited for entering the park. Mr Adams and his aid told local police that they entered the park not knowing it had been closed. Governor David Ige closed all of the state's parks around the first week of August - the same time period that Mr Adams and his aide visited - in response to a spike in Covid-19 cases. The governor previously had closed the parks in March at the onset of the pandemic. Mr Adams will answer to his charges remotely on 21 Oct. and could face up to a $5,000 fine, up to a year in jail, or potentially both. The surgeon general will face his charges at a time when many within the Trump administration are coming under fire for flouting coronavirus guidelines in the wake of Donald Trump's Covid-19 diagnosis. Mr Adams faced previous criticism for a poem he tweeted in February that suggested the flu was more dangerous than the coronavirus. Then, a few months later, Mr Adams was again chastised for using language that critics said was racially insensitive in a message meant to urge minority communities to take the virus more seriously. Contrary to others in the Trump administration, Mr Adams has been a proponent of face mask usage, and went on a national tour to coronavirus hot spots to encourage Americans to wear masks. His trip to Oahu was one such event. Story continues Read more Trump boasts he is perfect physical specimen and immune to Covid Pence, Harris spar over COVID-19 in vice presidential debate 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. By Donald Kirk WASHINGTON There's never been an American presidential campaign like this one. In fact, there may not have been a campaign like this one in any other country. Let's count the ways. First there was the pandemic. Or did the protests and riots come first? Next there was the death of a respected Supreme Court justice. Oh, and then there was President Donald Trump, the pandemic-denier, coming down with COVID-19. The atmosphere is simmering with so much controversy, so many views, so much news, that it's really hard to sort out what's more important and what will happen next. Right now, focus is on the latest medical bulletins on Trump. He says he's fine, don't worry about it, but then in February he was saying don't worry about COVID-19. Now that he's got it, he might be expected to be saying, I was wrong, I've seen the light and I know anyone can get it any time. But he still seems not to have fully grasped the meaning of what he and millions of others are suffering. He's not, as his doctor said, "out of the woods" just yet. Considering all the medical attention he's getting, you have to believe he'll be okay, that in a week or two he'll be declared totally "cured," and he'll be looking forward to his next debate with Joe Biden, the former vice president who's still favored to get elected president a few weeks from now. On a different tangent, odds-makers are speculating as to whether Trump's illness, assuming he does get over it, will raise or lower his chances of upsetting Biden. If Trump makes it to total recovery, sure, some adherents will be saying, look, this man is strong, let's give him another four years. If he doesn't quite recover very soon, however, a lot of voters will be saying he's not physically up to the job, and he's already displayed his poor judgment by so badly anticipating and dealing with the devastating effect of an illness that no one quite understands. How could it be, people have been asking for some time, that the richest, supposedly most advanced country in the world, could have about the world's worst record in combating the pandemic? The problems, however, go far beyond simply the disease. While the stock market has been doing quite well, millions of Americans are out of work or under-employed, and many of them are facing the terrors of a winter with inadequate food and shelter. The Republican Trump and his Democratic foes have failed abysmally on funding another round of emergency funding for millions on millions who desperately need it. Now Trump says he'll ram through a stimulus bill to his liking after winning the election. His bill offers far less than the bill promoted by Democratic leaders in the Congress. One thing is sure: If Trump does win, he'll face a resurgence of the protests that have been rocking American cities ever since the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in May. Meanwhile, on the way to the election, Republicans and Democrats will be fighting mightily over Trump's pick of the conservative Chicago judge, Amy Coney Barrett, as Supreme Court justice successor to the late beloved liberal Ruth Bader Ginsburg. You can just hear the firecrackers exploding in arguments in the Republican-controlled Senate. No one will be watching the drama more closely than Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang. By now he may be figuring he's gotten nowhere with Trump, despite their three meetings, and may see Biden as offering prospects for a fresh start. Biden, however, is no stranger in the White House. Having been vice president for two terms under President Barack Obama, he has to know a little about the frustrations of dealing with North Korea. Obama's policy called for "strategic patience" do nothing and maybe the problem will go away. Trump persisted in saying his presidential predecessors should have taken care of North Korea. He stupidly believed he had settled matters in June 2018 when he and Kim embraced in Singapore and signed that piece of paper resolving to work for a nuclear-free "Korean Peninsula." Lately, the president of the U.S. has stopped talking about North Korea except for tiresome claims to have headed off a second Korean War. By now he may know that coming to terms with North Korea, like shaking off COVID-19, is not that easy. The bottom line remains the same. Kim's still got his nukes and missiles, and he's not giving them up for Biden any more than he did for Trump. Donald Kirk, www.donaldkirk.com, writes from Seoul as well as from Washington. 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. 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. British Roger Penrose, German Reinhard Genzel, and American Andrea Ghez were granted the 2020 Nobel Prize for Physics on Tuesday for their discoveries about the black hole. According to the Nobel Committee, Penrose was awarded half of 2020's prize "for the discovery that black hole formation is a robust prediction of the general theory of relativity." Genzel and Ghez were awarded the second half of the prize "for the discovery of a supermassive compact object at the center of our galaxy," reported The Christian Science Monitor. Large Reward Money Penrose will reportedly be granted half of the 10 million Swedish kronor (more than $1.1 million) prize. He helped improve the theoretical basis for the black hole in the 1960s by providing seminal mathematics evidence that black holes directly result from general relativity. 'The Darkest Secrets of the Universe' According to Goran K. Hansson, secretary for the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, 2020's prize was about "the darkest secrets of the universe." Penrose, a University of Oxford professor who worked with the late renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, indicated that black holes should be physical reality and backed Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. Black holes are the most massive and most mystical objects in the universe. This 2020's Nobel Prize for Physics acknowledges the primary importance of black holes in modern astrophysics. Ghez and Genzel were awarded half of the Nobel Prize award for their detection of what is considered the universe's most popular depiction of the phenomenon -- the supermassive black hole named Sagittarius A* at the Milky Way's center. Also Read: First Photograph of Black Hole Bolsters Einstein's Theory of Relativity Background on Black Holes The physics that explains black holes originate from Einstein's general theory of relativity (GR). It is over a century old and was initially recognized as a theory of unparalleled mathematical hurdles. The three scientists awarded explained to the globe that the dead ends of the cosmos that are still not wholly deciphered but are deeply linked somehow to the galaxies' development. According to Penrose, black holes pique the interest of people due to "the idea of some monster out there sucking everything up is a pretty weird thing." He continued that our galaxy and nearby galaxies "will ultimately get swallowed by one utterly huge black hole. This is the fate, but not for an awfully long time, so it's not something to worry too much about," reported Hindustan Times. Penrose's Discovery Penrose invented new mathematical ideas and methods while developing this evidence. The equations that Penrose procured in 1965 have been used by physicists evaluating black holes. Ghez' Description of Black Holes According to Ghez, who was also awarded the Nobel Prize, black holes "really represent the breakdown of our physical understanding of the laws of physics." She continued that assessing such exotic objects "pushes forward on our understanding of the physical world," reported Science News for Students. Related Article: Stephen Hawking Love Life: The Other Side of the Wheelchair-Bound Lothario Physicist @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. We all know what the scientific genius Albert Einstein said about continually doing the same thing and expecting different results. Its the definition of insanity. For eight months, we Americans have been employing the same strategy to combat the coronavirus, and were getting the same results. Its time to take a lesson from Einstein and try a new tack in our battle against the virus. Our failed approach is two-pronged. In one camp are the Americans who believe that COVID-19 is a hoax and that the simple measures we currently have to combat it are unconstitutional if our government forces us to implement them. In the other camp are the Americans who are less concerned about the constitutionality of mandates. They are more driven by the science behind mask wearing, social distancing, etc. These Americans believe the experts who claim that wearing masks, keeping our distance, washing our hands and sanitizing frequently touched surfaces effectively reduce the spread of the virus. Researchers tell us that if 80 percent of the population wore masks, it would do more to reduce COVID-19s spread than a strict lockdown. 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. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani forces are constantly attempting new attacks which are failing due to Artsakh Defense Army countermeasures, Armenian Defense Ministry spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan said. Around 14:00 the adversary launched an attack in two directions at the northern border, which was thwarted as a result of Defense Army units decisive actions. Significant losses of manpower was inflicted upon the adversary, and 9 units of adversary equipment was destroyed, she said. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws 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 A Pennsylvania waitress said a customer left her a note about face masks on his receipt in lieu of a tip after she reminded the man that he needed to wear one when he's not seated. A photo of the receipt with the word "mask" written on the tip line was shared on the Facebook page of John Henry's Pub of Ardmore, where the waitress works. "When your staff politely asks a customer to wear a mask until seated, this is how they are disrespected. Totally unacceptable. 'YOU' should be ashamed of yourself!!" a caption on the post reads. The pub's owner, Kathy Kearney, told NBC News in a phone interview Thursday that the man came into her establishment Sunday for a meal. When he got up from his table and started walking through the pub without a mask, a server asked him to put one on. The pub's policy states that customers must wear a face mask when not seated at their table. Kearney said staff often remind customers who forget. "As we do with a lot of different customers, as they walk in we ask them to put their masks on or while they're in and they stand up, we kindly remind them to put their mask back on when they're moving about," she said. "It's not offensive, it's not aggressive, it's a kindly reminder." A customer wrote The server, Jamie Ledwith, told NBC Philadelphia that after she asked the man to wear a mask, he dismissed her. When I said, 'Can you please put your mask on if youre walking through the bar,' they were kind of like, they brushed it off their shoulder and they said, 'Well, you know its no big deal, were going to sit down anyway, Ledwith said. When Ledwith went to collect the receipt from the man's table, she saw the note the customer had left for her on his $23.50 bill. Kearney said she was upset about the incident and decided to share a photo of the receipt on the pub's Facebook page. "If you didn't like our policies or if you were annoyed by us asking you to put on a mask then just leave a zero or leave it blank," she said. "But to write in the word 'mask' just seemed disrespectful." Story continues "I just wanted to remind people that we're doing a hard enough job as it is and not to add to it unnecessarily," she added. The Facebook photo has drawn strong reactions from people criticizing the customer over the message and for not leaving a tip. Some people have donated money to Ledwith. Kearney said she doesn't want the focus to be about the money. "It has nothing to do with money," she said Thursday. "It was just the sentiment behind the mask comment." OLITICS Putin 2...Russian leader Vladamir Putin (left) shares a joke with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder whilst they watched a festival on the river in St Petersburg, Russia, Saturday May 31, 2003, to celebrate the city's tercentenary. See PA story POLITICS Blair. PA Photo: Stefan Rousseau. - STEFAN ROUSSEAU/ PA Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader, launched a scathing attack on Gerhard Schroder on Wednesday after the former German chancellor appeared to cast doubt on whether the Kremlin had been behind his poisoning. Schroder is Putin's errand boy, Mr Navalny said in an interview with Germanys Bild newspaper. Its one thing to be a Putin lobbyist. But now hes trying to protect murderers. Mr Schroder responded by threatening legal action against Bild for publishing comments Mr Navalny made suggesting he had received secret payments from the Putin regime. Mr Schroder served as German chancellor between 1998 and 2005. Once feted for keeping Germany out of the Iraq war and modernising its welfare system, he has become a highly controversial figure since his retirement from politics. Like Tony Blair, he has made millions since leaving politics but has been dogged by scrutiny of his business links with foreign regimes. (FILES) This handout picture posted on September 23, 2020 on the Instagram account of @navalny shows Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny sitting on a bench in Berlin. - Germany warned Russia Wednesday, October 7, 2020 that sanctions were "unavoidable" if it failed to cooperate and shed light on the poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. "A serious violation of international law was perpetrated with a chemical warfare agent, and something like that cannot remain without consequences," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told lawmakers. (Photo by Handout / Instagram account @navalny / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / Instagram account @navalny / handout" - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - ALTERNATIVE CROP - (Photo by HANDOUT/Instagram account @navalny/AFP via Getty Images) - HANDOUT/AFP He spoke out in support of Russia following the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and has been accused of acting as a lobbyist for the Putin regime, an allegation he denies. He has worked extensively for Russian energy companies, and is currently chairman of Rosneft and Nord Stream, which is majority owned by Gazprom. It was Mr Navalnys allegation that he receives additional hidden payments from Russia that prompted the threat of legal action. Mr Schroder waded into the Navalny affair recently and appeared to cast doubt on German accusations that Russia was behind the poisoning, commenting that there are no reliable facts. Specialist laboratories in Germany, France and Sweden all found traces of the nerve agent Novichok in samples taken from Mr Navalny. The finding has also been confirmed by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Novichok, one of the most lethal nerve agents ever made, was developed by the Soviet Union and is so sophisticated only a state is believed capable of producing it. Story continues I know that even his own party sees Schroder very negatively. Its just humiliating to hear such words from a former chancellor, Mr Navalny said. The poison attack on Mr Navalny must be clarified transparently by the Russian authorities. I understand the difficult personal situation Mr Navalny finds himself in, Mr Schroder said in a statement. But his comments to Bild about alleged hidden payments; are false. He himself says that he has no evidence for his allegations. Watch: EasyJet warns first-ever loss could top $1 bln The chief executive of easyJet (EZJ.L) has renewed calls for government support for the airline industry, warning the sector faces the most severe threat in its history. EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren said the company would make the first loss in its 25-year history this year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. EasyJet came into this crisis in a very strong position thanks to its strong balance sheet and consistent profitability, he said. This year will be the first time in its history that easyJet has ever made a full year loss. EasyJet aircrafts parked at the Geneve Airport, Geneva, Switzerland. Photo: Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP READ MORE: EasyJet blames Greek island quarantines for flight cancellations In a trading update on Thursday, easyJet said it expects to lose up to 845m ($1bn) this year. The airline has been forced to cancel scores of flights and lay off thousands of staff, after the pandemic led to collapsing demand for air travel. Passenger numbers have fallen by 50% over the last 12 months. Conditions are set to remain tough, with easyJet forecasting it will fly just 25% of its usual capacity over the next few months. EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren. Photo: Peter Cziborra/Reuters Aviation continues to face the most severe threat in its history and the UK government urgently needs to step up with a bespoke package of measures to ensure airlines are able to support economic recovery when it comes, Lundgren said. Lundgren has repeatedly urged the government to step in and offer tailored support to the UKs airline sector. Rivals Ryanair (RYA.L) and British Airways (IAG.L) have also been forced to slash thousands of jobs as a result of the crisis. READ MORE: EasyJet slashes up to 4,500 staff in 'knee-jerk' job cuts The brief respite of higher bookings in August was dashed after fresh quarantine restrictions were imposed on arrivals across Europe, said Susannah Streeter, a senior investment and markets commentator at stockbroker Hargreaves Lansdown. The situation is expected to deteriorate over the winter as infections increase, customers remain fearful of flying and tough quarantine rules are kept in place. Story continues The government has so far resisted calls to give tailored support to any one sector of the economy, instead urging companies to make use of blanket support measures such as the furlough scheme and COVID support loans. Shares in easyJet rose 0.3% on Thursday. New HCSO System Improves Efficiency, Enhances Safety The Hill County Sheriffs Office has successfully gone live with its new computer-aided dispatch (CAD) and records management systems (RMS) that replace their previous antiquated and inefficient systems. The new law enforcement software is expected to enhance the ability of deputies to serve the county. Last year, the Hill County Commissioners Court approved a request for the new Spillman Flex suite from Motorola Solutions. With the new setup, deputies receive their calls directly on their in-car Panasonic Toughbook computer. "The new RMS/CAD is a robust system that will serve our citizens well into the future, regardless of who is leading the office," said Chief Deputy Scott Robinson. "This was one of Sheriff Watsons key requirements when looking for a replacement report management system," he said. "After all, its about what is best for our citizens." Deputies can now receive up-to-date call information in real time as the dispatchers input updates to their calls. The upgrade also provides tools to improve case resolution rates and identify crime trends. Additionally, dispatchers now know the exact locations of their deputies, as the new system provides GPS tracking of HCSO units. The system will recommend the dispatch of the closest units to calls for service. The sheriff's office says this will reduce response times, as well as serve as an officer safety initiative. Dispatchers will know exactly where deputies are in the county in the event that they get into trouble and need assistance. Another benefit is that dispatchers can overlay current weather maps on top of existing maps to help steer deputies away from weather dangers or direct them to areas where they can serve as storm spotters. "Our deputies will not only receive their dispatched calls on their mobile data computers, but now they can also run vehicle registrations, driver license and warrant inquiries and stolen vehicle checks from their cars," said Sheriff Rodney Watson. "What this means is that our deputies will have information at their fingertips instead of having to rely on dispatchers for the information," he said. Robinson said that just as important is the fact that dispatchers overall workload will be reduced, since the deputies can now do what they previously relied on dispatchers to do only a month or two ago. "At the end of the day, its about providing the best service to our citizens as possible based upon our available resources," Robinson said. "None of this would have been possible without the close working relationship that Sheriff Watson enjoys with the county commissioners as well as the county judge," he added. "Its about working together with all county offices for whats best for our citizens." Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), the country's largest private sector conglomerate, has infused fresh capital of Rs 11,650 crore as a promoter in its retail arm, Reliance Retail Ventures, for expanding its business in grocery, consumer electronics, fashion and lifestyle. Reliance Retail Venture, a holding company for Group's retail business, has big expansion plans. The recent acquisition of Kishore Biyani's retail, wholesale and logistic business clearly shows the organic as well as inorganic ambitions of Ambanis in the modern retail business. Two big trends that are driving high growth in modern retail are digitisation and the gradual shifting of unorganised retail into organised retail. The fresh fund infusion of Rs 11,650 crore is part of the company's plan to increase the capital base. The company had recently increased its authorised capital base from Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 25,000 crore. Also Read: Surprise! Mukesh Ambani didn't bail out Anil in Ericsson case; RCom leased Rs 460 cr assets There is already a rush of investors to be part of the Reliance's retail journey. In a month's time, Reliance Retail Venture has attracted billion dollar investors from global marquee names. The company has raised Rs 37,710 crore from sovereign funds and private equity investors like Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Silver Lake, General Atlantic, Mubadala, GIC, TPG and ADIA. The current investment of Rs 37,710 crore translates into an equity stake of over 8 per cent. Sources suggest there are more investors lined up to invest in the retail venture. Also Read: Facebook-RIL deal: CCI raises concerns over data-sharing pact; FB assures it's 'limited' The current investments in Reliance Retail have already valued the retail arm at around Rs 4.2 lakh crore. In fact, Jio Platforms, the digital business, had recently attracted huge investors interest from global funds and strategic investors, which had pegged its enterprise value at over Rs 5.15 lakh crore. These higher valuations in the retail and digital arm are getting reflected in the parent RIL's market capitalisation. In little over a year, RIL's market cap has doubled to Rs 15 lakh crore. The company's retail business with 12,000 stores is already up and running. The company reported consolidated revenues of Rs 1.62 lakh crore and net profits of Rs 5,448 crore in FY20. The match-up between Democrat Mark Kelly and incumbent Republican Senator Martha McSally in Arizona has netted an eye-popping $116 million in ads, including spending from outside groups. In Kelly's quest to take the seat, he has spent $37 million on ads compared to McSally's $18.6 million so far. It's one example of the big spending on ads undertaken by Democratic hopefuls in key battleground states. In some cases, the Democrats have outspent Republican incumbents by as much as 2 to 1. Democrats face a friendlier map than in 2018 and have been gearing up for a battle to take control of a chamber that had been under Republican leadership since 2015. The late inning addition of a Supreme Court vacancy has only added fuel to the fire and cash to their war chests. In North Carolina, a race now upended by both a scandal involving Democrat Cal Cunningham's flirtatious text messages and Republican Senator Thom Tillis testing positive for coronavirus, about $130 million has already been spent on ads and another $35 million at least is expected by Election Day according to tracking by Kantar/Campaign Media Analysis Group. Cunningham alone has spent nearly $18 million already in comparison to Tillis' just $5.5 million on a race that has them neck-and-neck before word of the scandal broke. Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham, left, and U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. talk during a televised debate Thursday, October 1, 2020 in Raleigh, N.C. / Credit: Gerry Broome / AP It's a two-woman race in Maine, where polls show Senator Susan Collins trailing Democrat Sara Gideon as the Senator campaigns between a rock and a hard place thanks in part to the recent Supreme Court vacancy. Gideon has also spent more than double what Collins has on ads to date with more than $17 million to Collins' less than $8 million. And now Collins is facing an additional challenge. The senator has used her ads to tout her work drafting the Paycheck Protection Program as a part of the CARES Act which delivered relief to thousands of Mainers. But President Trump kneecapped that message this week by encouraging lawmakers to stop further COVID stimulus until after the election. Collins issued a statement Tuesday criticizing the decision. Story continues When it comes to Senate campaign spending, Democrat Theresa Greenfield is also dolling out the big bucks in Iowa. She has outspent her Republican opponent, Senator Joni Ernst, by more than $16 million on advertising to date according to Kantar/CMAG. Greenfield has dropped more than $23 million so far; Ernst has dropped less than $8 million. And Greenfield could outspend Ernst by more than $25 million by Election Day in the Hawkeye state. On Thursday, Greenfield announced she had raised $28.7 million from July through September, more than double what she raised this cycle to date so far through June. Even the Senate race in Montana has hit nearly $100 million spent on ads so far. Democratic Governor Steve Bullock is facing off against Senator Steve Daines. Bullock has spent more than $1 million more on ads so far, with $15.1 million to Daines' $13.9 million. By Election Day the race could see more than $125 million spent on ads. Perhaps the biggest surprise this cycle is the Cook Political Report moving South Carolina's Senate race to a toss-up. Democrat Jaime Harrison has spent more than $46 million to date against Senator Lindsey Graham, who has spent just $15.7 million. The once reliably red state could see nearly $100 million in ad spending on the Senate race by November 3 according to Kantar/CMAG tracking. In Colorado, Democrat John Hickenlooper has already outspent Senator Cory Gardner by more than $5 million on ads. In Kentucky, Amy McGrath has outspent Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on ads by more than $10 million to date. And in Kentucky, Democrat Barbara Bollier has outspent Republican Roger Marshall $8 million to $2.6 million. Even in Mississippi, Democrat Mike Espy has outspent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith more than five to one. In the two Senate races taking place simultaneously in Georgia, Democrat Jon Ossoff has outspent his Republican opponent Senator David Perdue by nearly double, but that's not the case for the special election where appointed Senator Kelly Loeffler is facing both Republican and Democratic challengers. Of all the groups investing in the Senate races, the Senate Majority PAC and Senate Leadership Fund are spending the most. Each has already put in more than $100 million toward advertising in races according to Kantar/CMAG. Both are slated to spend upwards of $150 million each by Election Day. The Senate Leadership Fund, a PAC that supports Republicans, has seen record fundraising in 2020, meaning they're also able to spend more than ever before. A spokesperson for Senate Majority PAC, which supports Democratic candidates, told CBS News their record breaking fundraising has allowed them to compete deep into the map. Like candidates, the committees on both sides have focused their ads in recent months on health care. For example, in Iowa, groups behind both candidates are hitting opponent plans hard. An ad from the Senate Majority PAC supporting Greenfield highlights that Ernst has voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, the Republican PAC Senate Leadership Fund supporting Ernst criticizes Greenfield's support of a public option with some of the same criticism levied against Senator Bernie Sanders' Medicare for all plan during the Democratic presidential primary in Iowa. This comes as the full picture is still slowly emerging on how much money was raised during the third quarter of 2020. Like Greenfield, Cunningham earlier this month announced raising upwards of $28 million over three months indicating Americans are focused on and donating to Senate races in an unprecedented way. The deadline for Senate campaigns to file with the Federal Election Commission is October 15. "CBS Evening News" headlines for Thursday, October 8, 2020 Second presidential debate in doubt after Trump objects to virtual format Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer speaks out about "depraved" kidnap plot Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (25) In the weeks that followed, the tensions between the authorities and Orthodox Jewish communities would worsen, escalating into the biggest health challenge for the city since the spring. What began as a small uptick in a few neighborhoods in Brooklyn now threatens to hasten the arrival of a second wave that could cause new hardships for millions of New Yorkers and stall the recovery of the weakened economy. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 15:47:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese tech giant Huawei donated a 12-meter-tall telecommunications tower to Guatemala on Monday for training technicians on 4G and 5G networks. Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei attended the delivery ceremony and thanked Huawei for its help in the country's technological development. Speaking at the Concordia Annual Summit, Philip Morris International Incs CEO Andre Calantzopoulos asserted that over 11.2 million people had already switched to the companys main smoke-free product Calantzopoulos said that cigarette sales could end within a span of 10-15 years in many nations with right regulatory encouragement and support from civil society. The Concordia Annual Summit, which brings together leaders from the world of business, politics, and NGOs, for a dialogue, he expressed that a future in which cigarettes are obsolete is within reach adding that with right regulatory encouragement and support from civil society, we believe cigarette sales can end within 10 to 15 years in many countries. Calantzopoulosl, delivered these high-level remarks at the summit and discussed the impact that uncertainty, polarization, hyperpartisanship, and ideology are having on international efforts to overcome pressing global issues. He called for science to be protected from politicization and highlighted the importance of developing open dialogues based on factual scientific objectivity. Calantzopoulos shared PMIs belief that with the right regulatory encouragement and support from civil society, cigarette sales can end within 10 to 15 years in many countries. The Concordia Annual Summit, which coincides with the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting, convenes the worlds most prominent business, government, and nonprofit leaders to foster dialogue and enable effective partnerships for positive social impact. Excerpts of the remarks by Andre Calantzopoulos follow: -Reflecting on the state of our world today and the challenges ahead, four words come to mind: Uncertainty. Polarization. Hyperpartisanship. Ideology. -These words are not new, but with the COVID crisis, they have gained prominence, moving beyond traditionally contentious sectors such as ours and into the mainstream. -The lockdowns that sent us into our homes earlier this year, the continued uncertainty we all feel, and the immense socioeconomic pressure caused by the pandemic have increased tensions and reinforced the polarization of both private views and the public discourse. -And while these past months have revealed how much can be accomplished when people work together, the tendency of individuals to put their self-centered impulses ahead of community wellness remains on display. -Divisivenessa binary choosing of sidesnot only hinders progress but threatens to thwart it. -Maybe there is no silver-bullet solutionbut to focus on respect for and adherence to facts, dialogue, inclusion, and science could help immensely. It is not enough, however, to simply say follow the facts and the science and expect progress to unfold. COVID-19 is just the latest example that proves a tragic truth: Science can be, and is being, weaponized to suit narrow agendas. Science and facts are being held hostageand distortedby politics, and people are suffering as a result. -As a society, we are experiencing a confluence of global existential threats. These threats require collective, multilateral discussions and cooperationand that can only be achieved through a commitment to open dialogue. -Absent a commitment to factual scientific objectivityfree of agenda-driven politicswe risk the very real and terrifying prospect of vaccine nationalism, an inability to tackle climate change at scale, and a narrowed chance of delivering solutions that create a fairer and more equitable world. -In a global world, in a global economic and human system, whether we like it or not, there is no solution in isolation. Individual governments or companies alone cannot bring the necessary change. If we want to make the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals a reality, if we want to protect our populations from the pandemic, including implementing a viable vaccine, we must work together. And most important, we must involve the 7.8 billion people on this planet. How do we do this? We tell them what the real problems areoffering the full facts; we propose solutions they can adopt or adapt; and we incentivize them to act in accordance with this new knowledge. We wont succeed by keeping them in the dark, by confusing them, or by misleading them. -Being at the helm of the largest multinational tobacco company as it transforms to deliver a smoke-free future, I experience firsthand how detrimental polarization is to making real progressin this case, progress in eradicating smoking. And, as a reminder, this concerns more than 1 billion men and women who smoke around the world. -Today, science-based, innovative products that do not involve combustion offer a better alternative for those men and women who would otherwise continue to smoke. To be clear: These products are not risk-free. And the best choice is never to start smoking or to quit tobacco and nicotine altogether. But for those adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, scientifically validated smoke-free products are a much better choice than cigarettes. -A future in which cigarettes are obsolete is within reach. In fact, with the right regulatory encouragement and support from civil society, we believe cigarette sales can end within 10 to 15 years in many countries. Yes, thats right: an end to cigarettes within 10 to 15 years in many countries. -Unfortunately, political agendas and ideology are slowing progress and keeping millions of people uninformed. Rather than holding an evidence-based conversation on how best to regulate these innovative products to help adult smokers leave cigarettes behind, we are often faced with an ideologically driven resistance from some public health organizations and some NGOs. These organizations allow disinformation to appear as legitimate science. They put dogma before data, and they expend more energy on attacking a company than on helping the human beings who should be at the center of the debate. -Poorly executed scientific studies, skewed results shaped by bias, and misleading media headlines are now the norm. -What is the result? Many adults who smoke are confused about these better alternatives and so continue to use cigarettesthe most harmful way of consuming nicotine. This is inexcusable. We must ask: Who will take responsibility for denying these adults access to and accurate information about science-backed innovations? Who will be held responsible for the real-world consequences of dogmatic thinking? -The issues created by uncertainty, polarization, hyperpartisanship, and ideology are not unique to the tobacco sector. From climate change to food security, we need fact-based conversations and a collaborative, multinational, multi-stakeholder approach to deliver real change. The public has a right to decision-making and information based in science. We cannot allow politically driven, well-funded individuals to prevent the worlds citizens from learning about and accessing smart solutions. Whether we are talking about vaccines, carbon emissions, or tobacco harm reduction, we need science, not rhetoric, to inform policies and regulations. -Science unites. It has the power to open borders and minds and bring progress. It can propel innovation. -For Philip Morris International, science has changed our company and is transforming our industry. I am proud to come before you today to say that, already, more than 11.2 million people have switched to our main smoke-free product and stopped smoking. Many more have switched to other smoke-free alternatives that are better than continued smoking. This is a profound public health achievement. -Governments across the worldin Greece, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and beyondare beginning to validate the role better alternatives to continued smoking can play. Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized our electronically heated tobacco system, IQOS, as a modified risk tobacco product. In doing so, the agency found that an exposure modification order is appropriate to promote the public health. -But a smoke-free future is not yet guaranteed. Ridding the world of cigarettes will require adherence to science, objectivity, collaboration, and a commitment to accelerate information to the people most directly concerned. -Many years ago, our industry was challenged to create a better alternative to cigarettes. PMI answered that call. We have transformed our entire company to devise and produce scientifically substantiated better products with the aim of delivering a smoke-free future. Science, data, and fact have led us here. -People who smoke are responding to our efforts. With the right regulations and related information, they could switch out of cigarettes much faster. Lets put these peoplenot politicsat the centre of policymaking. -Science secures progress. It secures solutions. It brings hope at a time when global challenges are so great they threaten to overwhelm. We should not allow science to be politicized and polarized. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires Grundfos, a global leader in advanced pump solutions and a trendsetter in water technology, said it has completed the delivery of HVAC solutions to one of the most awaited projects in Qatar QIMC Corniche Park Towers - in the midst of the pandemic. The landmark complex consists of three mixed-use high-rise towers, which will feature a luxury five-star hotel and residences, office and commercial spaces, and five levels of retail area. With the pandemic putting travel to a halt and making social distancing the new normal, Grundfos leverages on digital connectivity to deliver its usual best to clients, said a senior official. "Never backing down against any challenge, Grundfos didnt let the pandemic dampen the delivery of HVAC solutions to QIMC Corniche Park Towers," remarked Ahmed Lallo, Grundfos sales manager for QKOB. "While the technology of virtual witness testing has been around in Grundfos for several years back, the option wasnt often chosen by the clients. But the pandemic made it a necessity," he stated. The pandemic has affected lives and businesses in so many ways that companies ought to look at it as a chance to redefine focus and priorities for the better," observed Lallo. According to him, the project will be equipped with Grundfos high-performing and energy efficient HVAC pumps and controls. "To ensure high caliber performance, the solutions were subjected to Grundfos stringent quality testing in Grundfos production facility in Turkey while the clients, together with the contractors, witnessed the excellent results in the comfort of their offices in Qatar," explained Lallo. Though an actual witness test was previously set in August, the restrictions brought about by the pandemic made Grundfos Qatar team suggest a Virtual Witness Testing. Grundfos production facility in Turkey, led by production manager, Ramkumar Kathirvel, was more than ready to jump into the opportunity, he stated. While the concept of virtual witness testing is quite new to all parties involved, all apprehensions were abated as the testing started and all questions were addressed by Grundfos technical experts. All the more when the excellent results unraveled, he added.-TradeArabia News Service TAIPEI, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan's exports to the mainland and Hong Kong reached 108.09 billion U.S. dollars in the first nine months of this year, a new high for the same period, the island's finance department said on Wednesday. The figure meant a 13.3-percent increase year on year, the department said in a press release. In September alone, the island's exports to the mainland and Hong Kong reached 14.2 billion U.S. dollars, the second-highest monthly figure and up by 22.3 percent year on year, the statement said. The number accounted for 46.24 percent of Taiwan's total exports in September. The island's imports from the mainland and Hong Kong in the first nine months of this year increased by 7.9 percent year on year to 46.14 billion U.S. dollars. In September, the island's imports from the mainland and Hong Kong dropped by 0.3 percent year on year to 5.37 billion U.S. dollars. Taiwan's total exports in September reached 30.71 billion U.S. dollars, up by 9.4 percent year on year, and total imports declined by 5.4 percent year on year to 23.58 billion U.S. dollars. The department attributed the increase of exports to expanding demand in the mainland market, the booming new technology industry, and the prime season for consumer electronics. Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 08.10.2020: AZERBAIJAN HITS SHUSHI SYMBOL https://news.am/eng/news/606789.html Azerbaijan has hit the Ghazanchetsots Church, the symbol of Artsakhs Shushi, which had been rebuilt after the war in the 1990s, the Armenian Unified Infocenter informed. In his turn, Artsrun Hovhannisyan, a representative of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, wrote: "What do you speak about with church bombers?" "This manifestation of vandalism is against the laws of mankind and God. [But] we will restore [it]," Artsakh president Arayik Haroutyunyan added. Built around 1868 to 1887,the cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Artsakh of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Standing at over 115 feet tall, this cathedral is an iconic landmark of Sushi and Artsakh. STEPANAKERT AND SHUSHI https://news.am/eng/news/606818.html Azerbaijan continues to shell the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) capital Stepanakert and the fortress city of Shushiwith various weapons. This was reported by Artsakh Information Center, which also shared respective photos. Several apartments were damaged as a result of the explosion. There are no casualties and wounded," it added. AZERBAIJANI CASUALTIES https://news.am/eng/news/606754.html The Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] Information Center has presented the Azerbaijani armys losses ever since hostilities began on September 27. Accordingly, the Artsakh Defense Army has so far destroyed 16 combat helicopters, 17 warplanes, 145 military drones, 496 armored vehiclesmainly tanks, four TOS-1A heavy artillery system, four Smerch rocket launcher systems of the adversary. Also, the Azerbaijani army has over 4,069 casualties, whereas from the Armenian side, according to preliminary data, there are 331 military casualties. ARMENIA CASUALTIES https://news.am/eng/news/606759.html The Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Defense Army has reported that 30 more servicemen have fallen. Also, the Defense Army presented the names of, and some other data pertaining to, these soldiers who have heroically fallen while fending off the Azerbaijani aggression. ATTACK LAUNCHED https://news.am/eng/news/606805.html Azerbaijan is constantly launching attack attempts, which are failing, Shushan Stepanyan, spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, wrote on her Facebook. "Thus, at around 14:00, the adversary launched an attack in two directions of the southern border of Artsakh, which was stopped as a result of the decisive actions of the Artsakh DA [Defense Army] units. Considerable losses of manpower were inflicted on the adversary, as well as 9 units of enemy armored vehicles were hit," Stepanyan added. The fate of thousands of potential voters blocked from registering when the states online system went down for several hours before Mondays 11:59 p.m. deadline is now in the hands of a federal judge. After a sometimes heated two-hour hearing Thursday, Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker said he would make a decision at some point later in the day whether the state had to extend the deadline. I will try to get an order out quickly as I can today, Walker said, noting that he had kept a jury in another trial in Gainesville on hold for 90 minutes. Walker also acknowledged the time constraints, with the election mere weeks away. He anticipated that whatever his order says, it will be appealed by one of the sides. A coalition of voter registration groups, as well as the Dream Defenders, New Florida Majority, Florida Immigrant Coalition, Organize Florida and two would-be voters who said they were prevented from registering before Monday's deadline, sued the state. They claim thousands of voters were disenfranchised when the online system crashed. In their lawsuit filed Tuesday against Gov. Ron DeSantis and Secretary of State Laurel Lee, the state's chief elections officer, the plaintiffs also said a decision announced around noon Tuesday to extend the deadline to 7 p.m. Tuesday was not enough time to capture all the people who tried to register but couldn't. Theyve asked for an additional extension of the voter registration deadline. Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee (AP Photo/Steve Cannon, File) Toward the beginning of the hearing, Walker dismissed DeSantis as a defendant, after a short discussion with his attorney to determine that DeSantis did not have the authority to extend the deadline in this context. Lee said she had consulted with DeSantis before declaring Tuesdays extension. Secretary Lee could have consulted tarot cards, but that doesnt mean you can sue the tarot cards, said Walker, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, in the hearing. According to numbers provided by Deputy Chief information Officer Scott Maynor, only 19% more people registered on the day of the deadline than had registered the day before far short of the 140% uptick seen in 2018. Extending the registration period to 7 p.m. added an additional 50,000 voters, Maynor said. Story continues It's fair to say there was an impact because of system failure, said attorney Mohammed Jazil, representing Lee. But we showed we addressed that. That total still falls short of the expected increase, Walker said: I realize we abandoned science, but have we also shown that math is disfavored? he asked. Over 20,000 people lost out on their chance to register online because of this snafu. Stuart Naifeh, representing the plaintiffs, said the number of new voters dont reflect all the people who tried and failed to register Monday. He also questioned whether the people who were blocked from registering online were notified of the extension. Walker responded, The fact that far fewer registered than could have would suggest that Houston we have a problem, notwithstanding corrective action. The state argued that extending the deadline further would place a burden on local supervisors of elections, submitting affidavits from Leon County Supervisor of Elections Mark Earley, who is currently vice president of the state supervisors association, and Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections Paul Lux. In his experience, Earley said, another extension of the voter registration deadline would only add more confusion and reinforce the mistrust voters already have surrounding this election. More: Leon Elections Supervisor Mark Earley: Extending voter registration would create 'confusion' Florida hasnt managed to count votes properly when there wasnt a pandemic," Walker said. "The fact is, there is a pandemic. The fact is, huge percentages of people are voting by mail. The fact is, there will be huge lines. Dont I have to consider the integrity of the entire voting process of Florida? Supervisors have 13 days to process applications after they are submitted. Even though the deadline was 11:59 p.m., they are still required to take applications postmarked Oct. 5. They also continue to get applications after the deadline from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and public assistance agencies. Walker questioned Jazil several times about what authority the secretary had to extend the deadline beyond what state law says, and order county supervisors of elections to ignore the law. After several minutes going back and forth without getting a satisfactory answer, Walker said, Somebody has to have the legal authority to change it. You are joining in a circular firing squad to say we're all meeting and talking about it. The fact remains we have a mandate set by Florida law and somebody changed it. Did it happen organically or did it happen pursuant to her directive? Jazil also challenged the legal standing of the voter organizations to sue the state, especially after two voters named in the original complaint voluntarily dismissed themselves after it turned out they made false statements about their voter registration status. He hasnt identified a single member of a single organization affected by the extension of the deadline, Jazil said. You need an actual member for standing, and none is listed That is fatal. Also, Jazil said, the organizations failed to provide specific details about projects that were placed on hold because of the system problems. We have no specifics of what is being done differently, he said. I do not possibly understand how they have standing in light of this. Naifeh said their mission is to register voters, which was effectively stopped when the system went down. They were frustrated by the failure of the system and they continue to have that mission frustrated and injured, he said. For example, one organization had tried to help an ex-felon register after he finally paid off his fines on the day of the deadline. In other cases, people who only found out on Monday that their registration had lapsed couldnt do anything about it until they got off work. The hearing also focused on the balancing test between the burdens a state imposes with voting restrictions and the state's asserted benefits. On the one hand, there are disenfranchised voters who will be barred from voting in the Nov. 3 general election, Walker said. On the other, there is a potential burden on the state and county elections officials if the deadline is extended as described by Earleys thoughtful affidavit describing potential confusion and problems. Jazil said the registration systems failure was a minor burden given that the state responded by extending the registration period. Walker disagreed. If the system is down for six hours, and 50-60,000 people don't get to register, I don't understand for the life of me how that is minor, the judge said. You knew based on past years that thousands were going to use this device and it failed for hours. That suggests the problem was more than an oopsie, Walker said. On the other hand, looking at the requested cure could add thousands of provisional ballots onto an already overwhelmed election system and a chaotic election, Walker said. If reopened this for several hours, not hundreds but tens of thousands of people could apply. If I allow it to reopen for several hours, were still looking at a couple days from now, he said. Isn't that a significant burden or harm when talking about balancing equity of public interest? Naifeh said his clients werent asking for the state to change its election rules, but to honor the ones they created: These were not people who missed the deadline. These are people that tried to submit their applications within the deadline. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Contact Jeff Schweers at jschweers@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @jeffschweers. Subscribe today and never miss a story. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Federal judge weighs extending Florida voter registration deadline Camper fire claims the life of two people in Marshall County The deputies who shot and killed the son of Tarzan actor Ron Ely outside of his familys Hope Ranch Home last year will not face charges. Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley made the announcement Tuesday, deeming the deadly confrontation on Oct. 15, 2019 a justifiable homicide. Authorities responded to the luxury estate in Santa Barbara County around 8:15 p.m. that night to find Elys 62-year-old wife, Valerie Lundeen Ely, suffering from multiple stab wounds. She was pronounced dead at the home about a half hour later. The actors son, 30-year-old Cameron Ely, initially tried to blame the attack on his father but authorities have since said he was the one who stabbed his mother. When deputies managed to track him down outside the home, Cameron claimed to have a gun, prompting them to open fire. They unleashed 24 rounds, hitting him 22 times. According to a detailed analysis of the shooting released by Joyces office, the district attorney concluded the officers were justified in fearing for their lives, USA Today reported. Her investigation also similarly determined Cameron was the person that murdered his mother. When (Cameron) disobeyed verbal commands by deputies, sprang to his feet and moved his hands to his waistband as if grabbing a weapon while saying, I have a gun! shortly after killing his mother, his actions created a reasonable fear of death or great bodily injury in the minds of (the four deputies), the report concluded. The report further stated that each of the deputies acted reasonably in his/her use of deadly force; therefore, the shooting of Cameron Pierce Ely is a justifiable homicide. The report comes after the former Tarzan star and his two daughters filed a wrongful death suit against the officers and the county of Santa Barbara, alleging civil-rights violations in connection with the unjustified use of deadly force and denial of medical care, resulting in the deaths of Cameron Ely and Valerie Lundeen Ely. Story continues 2020 New York Daily News Visit New York Daily News at www.nydailynews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Joe Biden eagerly seized on President Trump pulling out of negotiations with House Democrats on an emergency pandemic relief bill as more evidence for the Democratic candidates closing argument in the final month of the campaign: that Trump doesnt care about working Americans. He turned his back on the small businesses that are struggling to keep their doors open. He turned his back on the firefighters and police officers and other first responders who depend on state and local government budgets that are strained to the breaking point, Biden said in a written statement released Tuesday evening. He turned his back on every single worker whose job hasnt come back yet and who are left to wonder when theyll get the break they deserve. He turned his back on families struggling to pay rent, put food on their table, and take care of their kids. Hours earlier, Trump sent U.S. markets tumbling by announcing he was directing Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who he had tasked with negotiating a compromise with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to suspend talks until after the election. Nancy Pelosi is asking for $2.4 Trillion Dollars to bailout poorly run, high crime, Democrat States, money that is in no way related to COVID-19. We made a very generous offer of $1.6 Trillion Dollars and, as usual, she is not negotiating in good faith. I am rejecting their request, and looking to the future of our Country, Trump, who spent his first full day back in the White House Tuesday after receiving treatment for COVID-19 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, said on Twitter. I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when, immediately after I win, we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business. I have asked Mitch McConnell not to delay, but to instead focus full time on approving my outstanding nominee to the United States Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett. Our Economy is doing very well. The Stock Market is at record levels, JOBS and unemployment also coming back in record numbers. We are leading the World in Economic Recovery, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME! Story continues President Trump after returning to the White House from Walter Reed hospital on Monday evening. (Jabin Botsford/Washington Post via Getty Images) Trumps apparently impulsive move baffled political observers who saw a deal as his best hope to get past the COVID-19 catastrophe by taking credit for sending relief payments to voters ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Instead, Trump, who trails Biden by a growing margin in most polls, went out of his way to take responsibility for the collapse of the talks. The presidents move also mystified Republicans in tough races for reelection, such as Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. Waiting until after the election to reach an agreement on the next COVID-19 relief package is a huge mistake, Collins told reporters Tuesday. With the U.S. jobs deficit still at nearly 11.5 million jobs since the start of the pandemic, Pelosi wasted little time in lashing out at the presidents decision. Today, once again, President Trump showed his true colors: putting himself first at the expense of the country, with the full complicity of the GOP Members of Congress, she said in a written statement. Walking away from coronavirus talks demonstrates that President Trump is unwilling to crush the virus, as is required by the Heroes Act. He shows his contempt for science, his disdain for our heroes in health care, first responders, sanitation, transportation, food workers, teachers, teachers, teachers and others and he refuses to put money in workers pockets, unless his name is printed on the check. Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told Capitol Hill reporters that he approved of Trumps move to kill negotiations before the election and to focus solely on appointing Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. I think his view was that they were not gonna produce a result and that we needed to concentrate on whats achievable, McConnell said Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell encouraged Congress to spend big on coronavirus relief for American families, and Pelosi included that message in her statement. Clearly, the White House is in complete disarray, Pelosi said in her statement. Sadly, they are rejecting the urgent warnings of Fed Chairman Powell today, that Too little support would lead to a weak recovery, creating unnecessary hardship for households and businesses. Over time, household insolvencies and business bankruptcies would rise, harming the productive capacity of the economy and holding back wage growth. By contrast, the risks of overdoing it seem, for now, to be smaller. Even if policy actions ultimately prove to be greater than needed, they will not go to waste. Having spent the day in his private residence in the White House, Trump seemed to miss the meaning behind Powells words, retweeting a portion of them with the accompanying message, True! Biden, meanwhile, made clear that, in his view, blame for the failure to reach a deal rested solely with the president, saying Trump never even really tried to get a deal for these Americans. Not once did he bring Republicans and Democrats together in the Oval Office, on the phone, or by Zoom, to get a relief package that would help working people and small businesses in this country. Not once in the months since the House passed a relief package in May has he stepped up to lead. Cover photo: Reuters/Brendan McDermid _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Lucknow: Seeking to win over 300 of the 403 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday jointly released ten commitments on which their alliance will work on coming to power. The two leaders at a press conference released the commitments which include major promises made by the two parties to the people of the state in their manifesto. 10 points are -- The list of commitments include distribution of free smartphones to youth, employment guarantee through skill development to 20 lakh youths, loan waiver to farmers, cheap power and proper remuneration for crops. -- It also commits to provide Rs 1,000 monthly pension to one crore poor families and one time food at Rs 10 to urban poor, 33 per cent reservation to women in government jobs and 50 per cent reservation in panchayat and local bodies elections besides power, road and water to every village in five years. -- Free cycles to all girl students of class IX to XII and meritorious students -- Free homes to over 10 lakh poor dalit and backward families, four lane roads connecting all districts and metro in six main cities also figure in the list. -- For the minorities and backwards, it promises representation in ratio to their population in all the welfare schemes as also police modernisation for making it more effective and phased expansion of dial-100 scheme. -- These commitments include the promises made by RahulGandhi during his state-wide Kisan Yatra, such as loan waiver to farmers and reduction of power tariff for them - a longtime demand of Congress. "At least Samajwadi people practically give shape to what they say but some others only do 'mann ki baat' but 'kaam kibaat nahi karte'... they do not say in rallies and in districts what are the achievements of their government,"Akhilesh said. "(They say) two families have entered into an alliance...I will say that two youths have come together it is an the alliance of SP and Congress...," he stressed in response to a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment in this regard. "These are ten steps to development worked out by the two parties on which Congress and SP will work on coming to power in future," Akhilesh added. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Writer Felicia Pride steps behind the camera to direct her first short film Tender a look at a womans sexuality. God bless a persistent public relations executive in Hollywood. In this case, I am most grateful because for being politely hounded to view the short film Tender http://tendermovie.com directed and written by television/author/producer Felica Pride. In viewing all films online, I watched three times. The first without sound to determine if the director can convey the story visually. The second time, I listen to the movie to determine if the dialogue and the story work. The third time, I watch for performances paying close attention to the edit. In Prides film Tender I understood that I was looking at the work of an exciting new director. ADVERTISEMENT A very present director. An organic director. A patient director with heart and a lot of soul. Is Tender a perfect film? No, its not but therein lies the beauty. Her cracks are interesting. Shes bold daring to go slow and shes brave showing her vulnerability and this is what makes the film intimate above-and-beyond the subject matter. Over the course of our free-roaming phone conversation, I discovered that along with Felica Prides incredible career she holds a special spot in her heart for other writers of color. Shes not someone that talks a good game without having a sound game plan. I get Felica Pride and I hope that after reading this brief Q&A and watching Tender you get her as well. But if you dont, its not a big deal. Pride teaches by example and like so many enlightened folks of color working in Hollywood, shes preparing a path for other writers and creatives. Her fearlessness and genuine love for our stories and storytellers remind me of Ava Duvernay and Lena Waithe, and we all know how things are working out for those two ladies. Heres what author/screenwriter/television writer/producer and leader Felica Pride had to share about her journey. LOS ANGELES SENTINEL: You are a serious writer, writer. What! Thats whats up! ADVERTISEMENT FELICIA PRIDE: (laughing) Thank you. LAS: Your bio is sick. You were a writer on Ava DuVernays QUEEN SUGAR. You have a feature film, Deeper, at Universal Pictures and Will Packer Productions that man doesnt make many mistakes. You sold a drama pilot to NBCs Universal Cable Productions. You are the co-writer and executive producer of the film Really Love produced by Charles Kings MACRO which won a Special Jury Prize at SXSW. Lady, you are in the mix with the King. Thats what I call Charles King, the King. FP: (laughing) Yes. LAS: Not done. Now you are in the writers room of the iconic Greys Anatomy. You put in the work lady. FP: (laughing) Thank you. LAS: Wait. Im not done. You cut your teeth in the Film Independent Screenwriting Lab Fellow. You are a graduate of NBCs Writers on the Verge program as a comedy writer but before that, you worked as a film distribution executive and an impact producer. FP: I did. I did. LAS: Lady, Im still not done. You are the author of six books, including The Message: 100 Life Lessons from Hip-Hops Greatest Songs and you hold an M.A. in writing from Emerson College and finally my favorite thing about you Felicia Pride, you run The Create Daily, a resource for underrepresented storytellers that you founded in 2012, and more on that later. Now. I am done. FP: (laughing) Now, you are done. LAS: Im so glad that I am talking to you today. My screenwriting partner (Art Shrian) and I, have our first screenplay in active development with a New York-based producer, and we received our last set of notes. Felicia, I had an emotional response that required Pad Thai. FP: (laughing) Thats often the case. I dont think it ever gets better at least from what I hear, from writers who have been writing for film and television for thirty years. It doesnt necessarily get better especially if you dont agree with all of the notes. LAS: Gulp. Why did you decide to step behind the camera, too direct? Ive watched your short film Tender and it was very well done. Nicely paced. The writing, of course, was great. Why directing? Why now? FP: I sold my first feature Really Love to Charles Kings MACRO and I learned that process, that film is the directors medium in a lot of ways. I realize that there are going to be stories that I write, that I birthed, that come out me, that I want to be a part of the vision from start to finish. For instance, I am working on a feature right now called Alameda which is inspired by my mother, my sister, and my niece. LAS: Thats very personal. FP: Exactly and as I am conceptualizing this, I realize that I have to do it [direct]. I have to get my skills up. LAS: I love what you just said. You have to get your skills up. You put in the work and I admire that a lot in a person. Sorry, please continue Ms. Pride. FP: Thank you. I started taking a bunch of classes and when I was ready to dip my toe in thats when I directed Tender. I kept it simple. LAS: You kept it sweet and nice. FP: Thank you. Its two characters. One location. It has the impact and the themes that I like to explore in my work. So now I want to continue to learn and build upon my work. LAS: So, are you planning to direct everything that you write in the future? FP: No. There will be other screenplays that I write thats better suited for other directors. LAS: As a television writer are you able to go on set when the directors are working? FP: We produce our episodes. A lot of shows allow writers to produce their episodes, especially if you a producer on the show, above level, you will be going to be on set at some point. It does depend on the show. LAS: So deep down youve been kind of shadowing directors the whole time youve been a television writer. FP: Yes, I have been taking it all in. When you know that you want to direct, you train your eye differently. LAS: Directors require stamina. Its not a job for the weak or lazy. FP: Yes, stamina is needed, so much. LAS: What are you learning as a writer who is now becoming a director. Did I ask that correctly? FP: You did. Directing and being on set helps me think a lot more about the realities of the page. LAS: The realities of the page. Got it. FP: The great thing about writing for television is that someone is going to make this. But when we are writing pilots on our own or specs and samples, and all that stuff a lot of times those things dont get made or produced. But when you step into the television writing, you know its going to get produced so the directing piece of it, really has me thinking more deeply how actors are going to interpret the material. [I ask myself] and I giving actors things that they can hold on to, in terms of scene work. And, then also I am learning more from the directors standpoint to interpret whats on the page visually. Thats something that I am learning as well. LAS: I love that word learning. Its the reason I still get up in the morning, and the reason I will fight to stay upright on this earth. FP: I love that and for me, the television writers room is a classroom. I learn every day. Its amazing. LAS: I watch the first episode of Greys Anatomy over and over again. In loop. Ive watched it over 100 times. No joke. FP: That episode is amazing. LAS: You have earned your place in Hollywood and I respect that deeply. Im a Taurus and I am not afraid of the work. I prefer smart work to hard work but either way, I go in. What did you do when you lived in New York? FP: I worked in book publishing and I did a lot of writing about books. I had a blog on AOL BLACK VOICES and I was a contributor for Publishers Weekly and I had a lot of memories of titles that I think will make great books. LAS: You are my kind of writer Ms. Pride. I have books on my bed, I love reading so much. I wish I had two more pair of working eyes and full command of 24 hours to just read. Seriously. Ive read a lot of titles recently that I feel will make great television and film. FP: Great. Thats important to my career. How can we get more work by Black authors on the screen? There is so much gold out there. How do we tap into that gold and share those wonderful stories? LAS: Amen. Penguin books deliver me new books by Black authors almost weekly. Its like Christmas. I am so excited to be able to read and feature these books and authors. FP: I love books, that was my foundation. LAS: I am very excited about your move into directing. Its clear that in Tender you are well on your way to an equally successful career. FP: Thank you. LAS: The next time we talk, lets make the entire piece about your Create Daily, a resource for underrepresented storytellers that you founded in 2012. www.tendermovie.com https://vimeo.com/felixandannie/tenderteaser https://vimeo.com/felixandannie/tenderbts @tendermovie on Instagram | @FelixandAnnie on Instagram | #tendermovie on @FeliciaPride on Instagram | @FeliciaPride on Twitter This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 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. Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws 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 The 11 other destinations include China, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, the Republic of Korea and Malaysia. However, the Japanese government will recommend travellers continue to refrain from unnecessary and non-urgent visits to prevent imported COVID-19 cases, the newspaper said. For returning Japanese citizens and holders of long-term visas, some will be exempted from quarantine requirements, it added. Arrivals from the 12 countries must submit an itinerary and a negative PCR test result on arrival, and will not be allowed to use public transport upon their return. Since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, Japan has banned travel to 159 countries and regions. Recently, the country eased two-way travel curbs with nations such as the Republic of Korea and Vietnam. International flights suspended for clearer quarantine regulations International flights to Vietnam have been suspended in order to develop more synchronised quarantine procedures and new facilities. Vietnamese returnees from South Korea landed in Hanoi on September 25 The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam confirmed that flights have been suspended as they wait for the guidance for quarantine procedures from the Ministry of Health. The problems are with paid quarantine facilities. Hoang Minh Duc, deputy head of the Preventive Medicine Department said the decision was made after the Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Health held a meeting to review the pilot flights from Seoul to Hanoi and HCM City. It is estimated that the synchronised and detailed procedures would be submitted to the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control in the next three days. The Ministry of Transport is gathering opinions from Hanoi and HCM City authorities about the flight schedules to review and allow more airlines to operate international flights in the future. There will be four flights a week to Hanoi and five flights to HCM City on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday by Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air. The airlines must submit the estimated passenger list to the port authorities 12 hours before the estimated departure and the detailed passenger list 30 minutes before departure. The passengers must follow all preventive procedures. Vietnamese passengers must have a valid passport and specific address in Vietnam for the quarantine period. Foreign passengers must have a visa, valid temporary residence card or written reply to the visa application and specific address in Vietnam. The passengers must all have a certificate that they have been tested negative to SARS-CoV-2. Vietnam Airlines have launched Hanoi-Seoul flights on September 25 and Vietjet Air launched HCM City-Seoul flights on September 30. However, the procedures were carried out differently. A dispute broke out on September 30 after 158 passengers arrived at Tan Son Nhat Airport from Incheon. According to the passengers, they refused to be quarantined at hotels because the fees had been increased from VND1.3m (USD56) to VND1.7m per (USD73) person per room. Footage of the basement that Adam Fox lived in. Mr Fox has been accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer ((WOOD TV8)) Footage from inside the basement where one of the suspects accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer lived has been released following his arrest. On Thursday, six people were charged in relation to a plot to kidnap Ms Whitmer, which involved links to a right wing militia group, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced. The six men arrested, following a raid at a home in Detroit on Thursday morning, have been named as Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris, Brandon Caserta and Ty Garbin. The group allegedly planned to kidnap the governor at her family holiday home, and had practised combat and shooting drills in preparation. Mr Fox and Mr Croft have been accused of being the ringleaders of the group, and on Thursday afternoon, footage of the basement the former was living in was released. Susan Samples, from WOODTV in Grand Rapids, Michigan, posted the footage on Twitter, and wrote: Adam Fox had been living in basement of vac shack. @WOODTV Adam Fox had been living in basement of vac shack. Owner let him stay because Fox was homeless and had dogs. Fox had been employee off and on at vac shack for 17 years. Owner fielding calls from CNN, NY Times pic.twitter.com/WGd0ZByFLu SusanSamples (@SusanSamples) October 8, 2020 Owner let him stay because Fox was homeless and had dogs. Fox had been employee off and on at vac shack for 17 years. The footage shows a crowded space, with belongings filling all corners of the room and very little space to walk around. The basement appeared to only be accessible from a wooden staircase that leads to the vacuum shop above. In the 25-second clip, a small area that appears to be a bathroom is visible down a narrow hallway, which is also cluttered with belongings. Story continues The group met in the basement on 20 June to plan the kidnapping of Ms Whitmer, according to the FBI. Although Mr Fox made every person at the meeting hand in their phone, an FBI informant, who was wearing a wire, attended that day and was able to record their conversation. The FBI informant became involved with the group after they reached out to a right-wing militia group known as Wolverine Watchmen, which the informant was embedded in, when they attempted to recruit 200 men in a plan to take the Capitol building. At that meeting, the group discussed using molotov cocktails to attack police, and planned when they were going to practise combat drills. Later on Thursday, the FBI arrested seven men from the militia group, who were charged by attorney general Dana Nessell with plotting to attack the Michigan State Capitol to incite a civil war. Ms Whitmer imposed some of the toughest coronavirus restrictions in the US in Michigan, while Mr Fox was reportedly militantly against wearing a mask as he believed it violated his civil rights. Mr Fox allegedly said on numerous occasions that he wanted to kidnap Ms Whitmer before the 3 November national election. His boss, Brian Titus told WOODTV that he was anti-police, anti-government. He was afraid if he didnt stand up for the Second Amendment and his rights that the country is going to go communism and socialism. Read more FBI breaks up militia plot to kidnap governor of Michigan Since then, a lot has changed. After Trumps performance in the first debate, most polls in key battleground states moved against him Trump and many members of his inner circle contracted COVID-19; the president had to be hospitalized for four days before returning to the White House on Monday Pence and Harris squared off in the Vice Presidential debate, with pundits saying it did little to fundamentally change the race, bad news for a Trump campaign that is running out of time to swing the election in its favor. 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. 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. In the hope to have China as an "all-weather ally", Pakistan has continued to support Beijing amid the COVID-19 pandemic and even looked the other way round in the case of ongoing human rights violation against the Muslims in Xinjiang region. According to an article titled 'Why China Has the Power to Dictate Pakistan's Future' by William Shriver published in The National Interest, Prime Minister Imran Khan has balanced his criticism of China because Pakistan receives billions of dollars of investment through the Belt and Road Initiative. To keep the China-Pakistan relations flourishing, Khan even downplayed the early stages of the coronavirus in both China and Pakistan. In February, Khan had said in a tweet, "Pakistan stands with the people & govt of China in their difficult & trying time and it will always stand by them". After a month, he said in a statement, "In a few days everything would be normal... This virus is a kind of flu. It spreads quickly." Shriver has highlighted Khan showing willingness to push aside a deadly virus to preserve the China-Pakistan relationship and appease Chinese officials. Meanwhile, Khan also preferred to turn a blind eye towards the rampant human rights violations on Muslims in the Xinjiang region by the Chinese government. The author said that in the past year, Khan has looked the other way on the Uyghur genocide in Xinjiang, shown public support for China's controversial Hong Kong security bill, and has now pandered to China during the coronavirus pandemic as China invests some USD 60 billion into Pakistan through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). As Pakistan continues to raise the so-called human rights violations by the Indian government, William Shriver questioned Asad Majeed Khan, Pakistan Ambassador to the US, on why Pakistan--a long time haven for pan-Islamic causes--is ignoring the over one million Uyghur Muslims in concentration camps in Xinjiang? In reply Ambassador Khan said, "We [Pakistan] normally don't comment on the internal situations of other countries, of our friends in particular. To equate our raising of the human rights violations in Kashmir in India is very different because China has never raised those issues with us [Pakistan] . . . We do not talk about these things publically given the state of relationship that we have with China." While Pakistan continues to defend China in the hope of gaining an "all-weather ally", the author of this article poses a question -- will Beijing will rush to Islamabad's aid during India-Pakistan's skirmish like the US, who gave outright support to India during recent India-China standoff. The author has opined that if China takes a sudden decision to not help Pakistan in time of need then "Pakistan would be left out in the rain". However, it stands true to the fact that China's growing relationship with Pakistan is one of the most important developments in the South Asian foreign policy. (ANI) Also Read: Mike Pompeo denounces China's exploitation, corruption, coercion of neighboring countries 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. Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Royal family does not want Meghan and Harry to visit UK Gigi Hadid imitates image of Russian Armenian poet in national costume (PHOTOS) Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Tata Steel Masters: Magnus Carlsen is sole leader Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Manchester United beat West Ham Hoffenheim lose to Borussia Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor Arsenal intend to extend deal of Mikel Arteta Johnny Depp returns to cinema after high-profile scandal with his ex-wife British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Why is Kanye West threatening Netflix? Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO Vaccination against COVID-19 is mandatory for footballers in Brazil First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas become parents Arnold Schwarzenegger faces accident (PHOTOS) AusOpen: Simona Halep came out in the fourth round Comedian Louis Anderson dies aged 68 Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran Barcelona want to sign Juventus defender Ansu Fati may miss 2 months because of injury France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Cristiano Ronaldo may miss home match against West Ham Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws Antonio Rudiger demands annual salary of 55 million euros from Chelsea 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 Aston Villa sign new contract with Emiliano Martinez 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 Main signs of stroke Lavrov summarizes the results of talks with Blinken Netflix announces creation of entire universe based on The Squid Game series AusOpen Rafael Nadal defeats Karen Khachanov UN agrees on definition of Holocaust denial Lavrov and Blinken talks kick off in Geneva Juventus make offer to Dusan Vlahovic 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 Why is Omicron strain so dangerous for children? 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 First film studio in space to be set up for Tom Cruise movie Armenia FM highlights need for full resumption of Karabakh peace talks Singer Robbie Williams to sell three of Banksy's works 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 Tottenham extend contract with Hugo Lloris Armenia Tourism Committee has new chairperson AusOpen Zverev moves into 4th round 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 American cult actor and rock musician Meat Loaf dies aged 75 Warships of Russia, Iran and China work out counteraction to maritime piracy Armenia first deputy minister of justice dismissed Roma congratulate Mkhitaryan Israeli defense minister tests positive for COVID-19 Karabakh conflict resumption likelihood is moderate, its impact on US interests is low, report says Liverpool set new record ICCWC partner agencies provide a range of training courses, tools, services and capacity building activities designed to strengthen criminal justice systems and build long-term capacity among authorities to effectively address wildlife crime. ICCWC Menu of Services The ICCWC Menu of Services provides an indicative list of the training courses, tools and services available through ICCWC partner agencies. Drawing upon their complementary mandates, unique pool of knowledge and expertise, and extensive national and regional networks, the five ICCWC partner agencies are uniquely placed to deliver a range of comprehensive interventions to strengthen criminal justice systems and build long-term capacity among authorities to address wildlife crime, providing them with the tools, services and technical support they need. Generous contributions from donors enable the Consortium to provide extensive support to national agencies, sub-regional and regional networks responsible for wildlife law enforcement. The ICCWC Menu of Services is available in English, French and Spanish. ICCWC Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit The ICCWC Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit provides government officials, Customs, police and other relevant enforcement agencies with a framework to conduct a comprehensive analysis of their response to wildlife and forest crime and identify their technical assistance needs. The countries capabilities are assessed in relation to relevant legislation, law enforcement measures, prosecutorial and judicial capacities, factors that drive offences, the effectiveness of preventive measures, and the availability and use made of data. The Toolkit is designed to serve as a framework around which a prevention and response strategy can be developed. The Toolkit is available in Chinese, English, French and Spanish. For further details, please see the ICCWC Toolkit Fact Sheet and the Toolkit implementation step by step guide. Click here for a presentation on the ICCWC Toolkit. ICCWC Indicator Framework for Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime The ICCWC Indicator Framework for Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime is a tool to enable countries to measure and monitor the effectiveness of their law enforcement responses to wildlife and forest crime. It has been developed to complement the ICCWC Toolkit and provides a standardized framework to monitor any changes in national law enforcement capacity and effectiveness over time. The ICCWC Indicator Framework is a comprehensive set of 50 indicators arranged against eight desired outcomes of effective law enforcement to combat wildlife crime. Designed as a self-assessment tool it is best completed through a collaborative process involving all relevant national law enforcement agencies. The Indicator Framework is available in English, French and Spanish. The Assessment Template is also available in Portuguese. For further details, please see the step by step guide. ICCWC Guidelines for Wildlife Enforcement Networks (WENs) A number of networks with different purposes and objectives focused on combating wildlife crime, and with varying degrees of formality and organization, have been developed across the world. In most cases these networks are known as Wildlife Enforcement Networks (WENs), and these WENs if functioning optimally, can play an important role in facilitating increased collaboration and coordination to combat wildlife crime. The ICCWC Guidelines for Wildlife Enforcement Networks (WENs) outline the key considerations in the development of a new WEN, and also provide a self-assessment tool for use by existing WENs to assist them in evaluating their level of maturity and/or operational performance and identify areas that could be further strengthened. The ICCWC Guidelines for Wildlife Enforcement Networks (WENs) are available in English, Spanish and French. Guidelines on methods and procedures for ivory sampling and laboratory analysis The Guidelines on methods and procedures for ivory sampling and laboratory analysis support the deployment of forensic technology to combat elephant poaching and the associated illegal trade in ivory. It has been developed by ICCWC together with experts from around the world. The Guidelines are aimed at first responders, investigators, law enforcement officials, forensic scientists, prosecutors and the judiciary. Their purpose is to facilitate the use of forensic science to the fullest extent possible in order to combat wildlife crime, and in particular, to combat the trade in illegal ivory through the provision of guidance to support transnational criminal investigations and law enforcement operations. The Guidelines are available in English. To complement the Guidelines, ICCWC has also developed a training video on ivory sampling that is available in Arabic, Chinese, English and French. Best Practice Guide for Forensic Timber Identification The Best Practice Guide for Forensic Timber Identification Guide cover the whole chain of custody, providing information on best practices and procedures from the crime scene to the court room, in order to ensure that forensic data are credible and admissible in court. Its purpose is to facilitate more timely, thorough and effective investigations, resulting in an increased number of successful prosecutions and a reduction in the illegal timber trade. In addition, ICCWC has developed a complementary 'Law Enforcement Best Practice Flow Diagram for Timber' to lead front-line officers through the steps that should be completed when dealing with a load or shipment containing timber. The Guidelines are available in English and Spanish. An online version of this Flow Diagram is available in English, together with further dynamic links to additional resources. Wildlife Crime and Anti-Money Laundering training program The Wildlife Crime and Anti-Money Laundering training program is a targeted four-day workshop to help Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), investigators, prosecutors and judges to overcome the investigative, legal and procedural challenges related to wildlife crime and money laundering cases. It aims to develop capacity to standardise procedures in detecting illegal transactions and suspicious activities, and to investigate, prosecute and adjudicate money laundering cases related to wildlife trafficking. Individual programme modules are being tailored to the needs of the different practitioners, to help them choose effective strategies, understand complex criminal patterns, reconstruct financial transactions, and apply relevant procedures or statutes. Other tools and services available through ICCWC partner agencies For information on other tools and services available through ICCWC partner agencies, please click on the flyer, as well as refer to other complementary tools listed below. The CITES Virtual College provides capacity-building activities and reference materials online. CITES Virtual College, is hosted by International University of Andalusia. A directory of laboratories conducting wildlife forensic testing, able and willing to carry out wildlife forensics analyses upon request from other countries and meeting specific criteria, is available on the CITES Wildlife forensics webpage. CITES Enforcement Authority Forum has been integrated with ENVIRONET. For details, see Notification 2015/039. Capacity established by INTERPOL is available to Parties through the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation in Singapore, for advice and assistance to combat wildlife crime linked to the Internet. For details, see Notification 2020/031. World Wildlife Crime Reports (2020 and 2016) The World Wildlife Crime reports (Second edition, 2020 and First edition, 2016) produced by UNODC in cooperation with ICCWC partners takes stock of the wildlife crime situation with a focus on illicit trafficking of specific species of wild fauna and flora. It provides a broad assessment of the nature and extent of the problem at the global level. The reports include quantitative market assessments and a series of in-depth illicit trade case studies for species increasingly being seized by authorities as they gain prominence among consumers. Customs - FIU Cooperation Handbook (2020) The aim of the Customs-FIU Cooperation Handbook is to serve as a practical tool for Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) and Customs Services as well as other law enforcement authorities (such as certain National Police Services) with competences in cross-border related investigations. The Handbook serves as an orienting guide for these authorities and addresses mechanisms and institutionalized practices whereby the Customs Services and FIUs can most effectively collaborate in targeting and dismantling transnational organized crime engaged in international money laundering and terrorism financing activities. Wildlife Crime Linked to the Internet - Practical Guidelines for Law Enforcement Practitioners (2021) Restricted The Wildlife Crime Linked to the Internet - Practical Guidelines for Law Enforcement Practitioners was developed to assist Parties in combating wildlife crime linked to the Internet more effectively. The guidelines which includes matters such as concepts related to the technology used for online investigations, how to identify wildlife crime linked to the Internet, disrupting wildlife crime linked to the Internet, analyzing content and modern police investigation techniques, provides a practical tool for law enforcement officers on how to investigate cases of wildlife crime linked to the Internet. Wildlife Crime Scene Guide for First Responders (2019) Restricted The Wildlife Crime Scene Guide for First Responders was developed as a basic guide to assist and guide those who are first responders to wildlife crime scenes, including those operating under sub-optimal conditions with limited personnel and equipment. Scaling Back Corruption - A Guide on Addressing Corruption for Wildlife Management Authorities (2019) The Scaling Back Corruption - A Guide on Addressing Corruption for Wildlife Management Authorities serves as a reference tool to assist wildlife management authorities, including CITES Management and Scientific Authorities, in developing their capability to tackle the corruption risks that can undermine their work, and by doing so proactively reduce the occurrence, extent and negative impact of wildlife crime. Rotten Fish - A Guide on Addressing Corruption in the Fisheries Sector (2019) The Rotten Fish - A Guide on Addressing Corruption in the Fisheries Sector is designed to help policymakers with the challenging task of identifying the specific areas in their legal and regulatory frameworks susceptible to corruption, and to act to address those weaknesses. It also aims to sensitize the authorities working on fisheries management to the threat that corruption poses. And where corruption already has gained a foothold, the guide suggests ways to reduce its impact and develop safeguards to prevent its return. Guide on Drafting Legislation to Combat Wildlife Crime (2018) The Guide on Drafting Legislation to Combat Wildife Crime (2018) aims is to assist Parties in protecting wildlife by criminalizing serious wildlife offences, thereby enhancing Parties prosecution and criminal justice capacities. The Guide is intended as a technical assistance tool to assist Parties in reviewing and amending existing legislation and adopting new legislation against wildlife crime in line with the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the United Nations Convention against Corruption. Customs - Police Cooperation Handbook (2018) The Customs Police Cooperation Handbook (2018) aims to foster increased cooperation between customs and police agencies at the national level. The Handbook highlights the need for customs police cooperation, and, offers professional insight on how to strengthen the collaboration between these institutions. Link to ICCWC Partners Organization Programmes The partnership between the Las Vegas and Freeport-based brands features some of L.L.Beans most iconic products, providing even more options in high-quality footwear and apparel for outdoor-enthusiasts to shop Zappos.com and L.L.Bean Announce New Wholesale Agreement L.L.Bean Outdoor Products L.L.Bean Outdoor Products LAS VEGAS, Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zapp o s.com , the customer service company that just happens to sell shoes, clothing, and more, today announced its newest brand partner: internationally-recognized outdoor brand L.L.Bean . The partnership features some of L.L.Beans most iconic products, providing more options in high-quality footwear and apparel for outdoor enthusiasts. Now thats something to say WOW about! To make the outdoors more accessible for individuals and families alike through equipping them with timeless, durable products, Zappos initial rollout includes the iconic L.L.Bean Boot which is available on Zappos.com starting today. Customers looking for a comfy shoe to relax in post-adventure will be excited to know that The Wicked Good Slipper one of L.L.Beans top-selling items will be among the first L.L.Bean products to be available on Zappos.com this week. Throughout the month of October and beyond, Zappos will continue to release a diverse selection of L.L.Bean products including outerwear, flannels, fleece, and more. Each option comes in a variety of styles and sizes for men, women, and children. Having 108 years of quality products and incredible customer centricity under your belt is no small feat, we have great respect for the enduring legacy L.L.Bean has created, said Karlyn Mattson, General Manager of Merchandise Strategy at Zappos. We are such fans, and we know our customers are too. Theyve been wanting L.L.Bean to join the Zappos family, and were excited to let them know we heard them and the L.L.Bean love is mutual! L.L.Beans new wholesale partnerships are part of the companys omnichannel growth strategy to make its iconic footwear, gear, apparel, and outerwear more accessible to customers online and in partner retail locations across the country. This approach enables more individuals to experience the well-known, durable products that the heritage brand is known for. Story continues Through our wholesale partnership with Zappos a company also known for its superior customer service we will be able to share our most iconic products with their loyal fanbase, helping even more people benefit from time in the outdoors, said Bryson Hopkins, Chief Merchandising Officer at L.L.Bean. To learn more about the brand partnership and browse reliable products currently available for purchase, visit zappos.com/e/the-find/llbean-bean-boot. About Zappos.com Established in 1999, Zappos.com is a leading customer service company and innovator in online retail, company culture, and organizational evolution. Specializing in shoes, clothing, and more, Zappos WOWs customers through its legendary 365-day return policy, fast/free shipping, and 24/7 friendly service. Zappos.com LLC is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. About L.L.Bean, Inc. L.L.Bean, Inc. is a leading multichannel merchant of quality outdoor gear and apparel. Founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean, the company began as a one-room operation selling a single product, the Maine Hunting Shoe. Still family owned, Shawn Gorman, great grandson of Leon Leonwood Bean, was named Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2013. While its business has grown over the years, L.L.Bean continues to uphold the values of its founder, including his dedication to quality, customer service and a love of the outdoors. In the past five years, L.L.Bean has donated over $6 million toward conservation and land stewardship. L.L.Bean operates 54 stores in 19 states across the United States, along with 25 stores in Japan. The 220,000-sq. ft. L.L.Bean retail store campus in Freeport, ME, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and welcomes more than 3 million visitors every year. L.L.Bean can be found worldwide at www.llbean.com , Facebook , Twitter , YouTube , Pinterest , and Instagram . Contact: Trent Hodson trenth@praytellagency.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/11d1729b-176e-4f45-9551-57d81a41783e A murder suspect in Texas allegedly wore dark makeup and a fake beard to disguise himself as a Black person during a shooting. A man suspected of murdering a woman as she arrived to work allegedly wore Blackface makeup and other false identifiers to commit the crime. Read More: Maryland man accused of killing woman, son who witnessed murder The Dallas Morning News reported Andrew Charles Beard created a disguise using a dark-brown shade of foundation and a fake beard to assume a new appearance for his violent crime. The 33-year-old allegedly shot and stabbed Alyssa Burkett, 24, as she entered her property manager job. According to an arrest warrant affidavit, witnesses described Beard, a white man, as Black. Alyssa Burkett (Credit: GoFundMe) Burkett died of a gunshot wound to the head and multiple stab wounds to the arms and torso. One witness said to have seen the suspect parked outside of the Greentree Apartments, where the victim was employed before he opened fire. The news outlet reported, other witnesses described a 6-foot-tall male wearing all black clothing and a face covering. Two bystanders said to police the suspect was a Black man after having viewed the side of his face. The police searched Beards vehicle the day following the murder and found implicating evidence to the crime and the disguise. The Dallas Morning News detailed the discovery of a trash bag that contained a pair of bleach-soaked, cut-up work boots, a knife, and two bottles of dark liquid makeup. Another bag contained makeup wipes, stained with a brown hue, and a piece belonging to a makeup brush. Read More: Teen charged in two Atlanta murders that occurred weeks apart An abandoned vehicle, suspected to have been purchased on Craigslist by Beard, also unearthed a dark hair with what appeared to be dried blood on it, as well as a fake beard that had what looked like dark brown makeup on the back. The news outlet reports police also uncovered tracking devices Beard allegedly used to stalk his victim. Story continues According to The Dallas Morning News, Burketts mother and current boyfriend claimed she was scared Beard would cause her harm. In September, the two were entangled in a custody battle where Burkett took full-custody of the former couples one-year-old daughter. The current partner told police Beard always knew his girlfriends location. After a full search of the victims car, officers found a tracking device. Burketts boyfriend also had the electronic device on his own vehicle. Before her murder, Burkett launched a now-deleted GoFundMe campaign to raise money for legal efforts in the custody battle. At this point, I am scared for my life and my daughters life. It has been made clear this man will do whatever it takes to cut me out of the picture and Im worried that what is coming next will be worse, she wrote on the webpage. Ive lost hair, Ive lost sleep, I can not focus on at my job or on my school work, Ive had high blood pressure issues as well as other issues. Ive contemplated making this post for two weeks as I have been afraid of what people would think of me and such an embarrassing attempt to come up with more cash for this lawyer but I decided I need to do whatever I can to fight for my daughter and our life. The child was not physically harmed and remains in custody of Child Protective Services. Beard is behind bars at the Dallas County jail. The post Murder suspect allegedly wore fake beard, Blackface makeup disguise during Texas shooting appeared first on TheGrio. 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. Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws 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 In a world-first, the 2020 season of The Bachelorette Australia will see not one but two single women jump headfirst into their search for true love. And, in an added twist, the two lovely ladies are none other than sisters and best friends Elly and Becky Miles. Bachelorettes Elly and Becky Miles with their 20 bachelors. Photo: Channel 10. Elly, of course, rose to fame as the chilled out country gal on Matt Agnews season of The Bachelor in 2019 who sadly didnt get her fairytale ending. After a bit of soul searching overseas last year, the 25-year-old nurse from Parkes, NSW, is ready to put her heart on the line once again alongside older sister Becky, 30. The gorgeous and down-to-earth pair will have their pick of 20 handsome and accomplished men, all with different backgrounds, interests and love languages. Aged between 24 and 35-years-old, these eligible Bachelors come from all across the globe including Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Italy, England and of course Australia. From running their own businesses, searching for gold, handling explosives, filmmaking and personal training, the contestants are living full and busy lives but which of them will be lucky enough to have Becky or Elly in their future? RELATED: Who is still on The Bachelorette 2020? Adam Todd, 24 Adam on The Bachelorette Australia 2020. Photo: Channel 10. Job and home state: Geologist, Western Australia Instagram: @adam_todd7 Fun fact: Originally from Victoria. Adrian Baena, 26 Adrian on The Bachelorette Australia 2020. Photo: Channel 10. Job and home state: Kitesurfing Instructor, Queensland Instagram: @adrianbeanzz Fun fact: Has travelled to South Africa, Croatia, Egypt and Thailand. Agostino Guardiani, 30 Agostino on The Bachelorette Australia 2020. Photo: Channel 10. Job and home state: Business Owner, Victoria Instagram: @aguardiani Fun fact: Runs his own vegan and cruelty-free skincare brand. Damien Stone, 31 Damien on The Bachelorette Australia 2020. Photo: Channel 10. Job and home state: Property Valuer, Victoria Instagram: @damien_stone Fun fact: Friends with Love Island season two contestant Todd Elton. Story continues Frazer Neate, 28 Frazer on The Bachelorette Australia 2020. Photo: Channel 10. Job and home state: Concreter, Queensland Instagram: @fneate_3 Fun fact: Used to play AFL with the Mt Gravatt Vultures. Harry Harris, 35 Harry on The Bachelorette Australia 2020. Photo: Channel 10. Job and home state: Builder, South Australia Instagram: @james_harry_harris Fun fact: Shares five-year-old son Xavier with former partner Kate Whiting who he appeared with on House Rules in 2017 James Boggia, 28 James on The Bachelorette Australia 2020. Photo: Channel 10. Job and home state: Pro Wakeboarder, Queensland Instagram: @jpboggia Fun fact: Hes also a personal trainer. Joe Woodbury, 25 Joe on The Bachelorette Australia 2020. Photo: Channel 10. Job and home state: Labourer, NSW Instagram: @joewoodbury Fun fact: Comes from a very tight-knit family from Newcastle. Pascal Wallace, 33 Pascal on The Bachelorette Australia 2020. Photo: Channel 10. Job and home state: CEO, NSW Instagram: @pascalwallacee Fun fact: Is the CEO of a healthcare and disability company. Pete Mann, 34 Pete on The Bachelorette Australia 2020. Photo: Channel 10. Job and home state: Cafe Owner, South Australia Instagram: @pete__mann Fun fact: Used to be a geography teacher but now owns an environmentally conscious cafe and adventure brand called Octeine. Sam Vescio, 35 Sam on The Bachelorette Australia 2020. Photo: Channel 10. Job and home state: Lawyer, NSW Instagram: @samvescio Fun fact: Surprises Elly and Becky with a giant bunch of red balloons. Shannon Karaka, 30 Shannon on The Bachelorette Australia 2020. Photo: Channel 10. Job and home state: Sales, NSW Instagram: @shannonkaraka_ Fun fact: Crowned Mr Polynesia 2017. Who has left The Bachelorette 2020? Samuel Minkin, 27 Samuel on The Bachelorette Australia 2020. Photo: Channel 10. Job and home state: Musculoskeletal Therapist, NSW Instagram: Doesnt have one. Fun fact: Describes himself as an old soul with slight psychic abilities. Sadly, Samuel didnt receive a rose in episode one. Nick Chamberlain, 25 Nick on The Bachelorette Australia 2020. Photo: Channel 10. Job and home state: Support Worker, NSW Instagram: @_nickchamberlain Fun fact: His straight-talking nature can land him in hot water. Nick went home along with Samuel in episode one. AB Sow, 27 AB on The Bachelorette Australia 2020. Photo: Channel 10. Job and home state: Filmmaker, Queensland. Instagram: @absow_ Fun fact: AB made it to the finals of Australias Got Talent in 2016 with his dance troupe, EQUALS. AB shocked everyone when he walked out of the rose ceremony in episode one after refusing a rose from Becky. Jake Ricciardo, 26 Jake on The Bachelorette Australia 2020. Photo: Channel 10. Job and home state: Explosives Handler, Western Australia Instagram: @jakericciardo_ Fun fact: Loves upcycled clothing. Jake was the only bachelor to be sent home in episode two. Rudy El Kholti, 30 Rudy on The Bachelorette Australia 2020. Photo: Channel 10. Job and home state: Personal Trainer, NSW Instagram: @rudyelkholti Fun fact: Was crowned Mr Italy in 2019. Rudy was one of four men who went home in episode three. Saj Bakhsh, 25 Saj on The Bachelorette Australia 2020. Photo: Channel 10. Job and home state: Personal Trainer, South Australia Instagram: @saj_bakhsh Fun fact: Currently studying a double degree in international relations and social work. Saj sadly didnt get a chance to go on a date and was sent home in episode three. Andrew Thomas, 30 Andrew on The Bachelorette Australia 2020. Photo: Channel 10. Job and home state: Tour Guide, South Australia Instagram: @thomthomtraveller Fun fact: Studied ballet for five years. Andrew left the mansion in episode three along with Rudy and Saj. Trent Cray, 31 Trent on The Bachelorette Australia 2020. Photo: Channel 10. Job and home state: Finance Broker, Western Australia Instagram: @tcray Fun fact: He used to live in London. It wasnt meant to be for Trent, who also left in episode three. The Bachelorette Australia 2020 airs 7.30pm Wednesdays and Thursday on Channel 10. New Zealand viewers can tune into The Bachelorette Australia at 7:30pm Tuesdays and Wednesdays on Bravo. Click here to sign up to our daily newsletter to get all the latest news and hacks. Or if you have a story tip, email us at lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com. Jordan's King Abdullah has appointed Bisher Al-Khasawneh, a royal palace adviser, as the country's new Prime Minister following Omar Razzaz's resignation from the post, it was reported. Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, the Royal Hashemite Court said: "His Majesty King Abdullah II tasks Bisher Khasawneh with forming a new Cabinet." the Amman-based Roya News reported. According to the palace, Al-Khasawneh, also a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and a top envoy, will now oversee the upcoming parliamentary elections on November 10. Wednesday's development comes after the Monarch accepted the outgoing Prime Minister's resignation on October 3. On September 27, King Abdullah had dissolved the House of Representatives paving the way for the upcoming polls. The House of Representatives or the lower House comprises 130 seats, of which 115 members are elected by an open list proportional representation from 23 constituencies of between three and nine seats in size and 15 seats reserved for women. Nine of the 115 proportional representation seats are reserved for the Christian minority, with another three reserved for the Chechen and Circassian minorities. Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty An FDA announcement regarding a new warning for a common allergy and asthma medication with serious mental health side effects went under the radar earlier this year due to the global coronavirus crisis. On March 4th, just before the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic, the FDA said they would start requiring a boxed warning their most serious for the drug montelukast, which is also marketed under the brand name Singulair. We are taking this action after a review of available information led us to reevaluate the benefits and risks of montelukast use, the FDA wrote. Montelukast prescribing information already includes warnings about mental health side effects, including suicidal thoughts or actions; however, many health care professionals and patients/caregivers are not aware of the risk. We decided a stronger warning is needed. The prescription medicine, which was first approved by the FDA in 1998, is used to prevent asthma attacks in adults and children as well as to help control symptoms of asthma and allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever. Other mood-related side effects may include aggressive behavior, anxiousness, depression, memory loss, disorientation, disturbance in attention, insomnia and dream abnormalities, stuttering, hallucinations, obsessive compulsive symptoms, suicidal thinking and suicide. RELATED: WHO Suspends Hydroxychloroquine Trials After Reports of High Death Rates in COVID-19 Patients The FDA has determined that the prescription should not be the first choice treatment particularly for patients with mild symptoms, noting that many other safe and effective allergy medicines are widely available." Healthcare providers are being advised to alert all patients receiving the prescription about the potential serious side effects. Patients should also be told to immediately stop use of the drug and seek professional help if any adverse mental health symptoms occur. Story continues The FDA went on to note that although most neuropsychiatric events occurred while patients were still using the drug, some have reported persisting symptoms after stopping montelukast treatment. RELATED VIDEO: RHOC's Meghan King Reveals Son Has Cerebral Palsy and Why She 'Felt Relieved' About Diagnosis RHOC's Meghan King Reveals Son Has Cerebral Palsy and Why She 'Felt Relieved' About Diagnosis "I was expecting this diagnosis," Meghan King writes in her newest blog post For more than a decade, concerns have been raised about the drug. A 15-year-old boy in the United States committed suicide in 2008, about a month after he began taking Singular, according to WNYT-TV. Although at the time, his mother said she did not make a connection between her sons death and the medication, that began to change after a relative found reports of similar cases. "Children are dying. They're dying and they're mentally being tortured for years before people figure out that this is their asthma drug," she told the outlet last year, while speaking about her work trying to get the FDA to issue a boxed warning. In Australia, concerned parents have also spoken out against the drug, including Mary Hozen, whose daughter Sarah had been taking the prescription for three months before her death, according to Nine.com.au. I just never suspected those side-effects were a part of asthma medication at all, Mary, who said she was unaware about the potential risks, told the outlet in 2018. She just spiraled so quickly and suddenly. That year, the Therapeutic Goods Administration issued orders about including warnings on the inside packaging of Singulair, which some parents considered a good, but not final, step. A visible warning label on the outside of the packaging is vital in ensuring patients or their carers are reminded to constantly monitor for changes in mood and behaviour, Vanessa Sellick, whose 12-year-old son began having suicidal thoughts after taking the drug, previously told the outlet. Incumbent Jackie Lacey and challenger George Gascon are competing in the race for Los Angeles County district attorney. (Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles County District Attorney The national debate over criminal justice reform and police use of force will be on the ballot this year in Los Angeles, where veteran Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey is trying to fend off a challenger who represents a push to elect more progressive prosecutors nationwide, in former San Francisco Dist. Atty. George Gascon. Lacey, who is seeking a third term, became L.A. County's first woman and Black district attorney in 2012 and ran unopposed in 2016. She has overseen an office that has secured convictions against a number of high-profile defendants during her two terms including Lonnie Franklin, the "Grim Sleeper" serial killer; and rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight and enjoyed broad support among law enforcement. While she's seen as more of a traditional law-and-order prosecutor, Lacey has also championed diversion programs for nonviolent offenders and the mentally ill in some cases, though they represent a small portion of the hundreds of thousands of cases her office has tried during her two terms. Lacey has repeatedly declined to prosecute L.A. County law enforcement officers who have shot unarmed suspects, making her the target of ongoing protests. Gascon, who sees himself at the forefront of a wave to elect more progressive prosecutors across the U.S., championed restorative justice programs and alternatives to incarceration for eight years in San Francisco. He also co-wrote Proposition 47, the landmark legislation that reduced several felonies to misdemeanors in California, and championed a bill last year that could make it easier to prosecute police officers in fatal use-of-force cases. Property crime soared under Gascon's tenure in San Francisco, which some allege resulted from the lack of the threat of prosecution against low-level criminals, stemming from his office's use of diversion programs. Gascon also declined to prosecute San Francisco police officers in a number of controversial shootings in the Bay Area, though he has argued his hands were tied by restrictive laws. Story continues James Queally Los Angeles County Supervisor 2nd District In a rare opening on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, L.A. City Councilman Herb Wesson and state Sen. Holly Mitchell hope to succeed Mark Ridley-Thomas in the 2nd Supervisorial District which includes Carson, Compton, Culver City, Inglewood and several L.A. neighborhoods. Herb Wesson and Holly Mitchell. (Los Angeles Times) Wesson joined the Los Angeles City Council in 2005 and was council president from 2012 until January, when he stepped aside as president to focus on his campaign. He has said his accomplishments as council president include multiple increases in the citys minimum wage, passage of a $1.2-billion bond measure to battle homelessness and a shift in the citys election schedule to even-numbered years, a step aimed at boosting voter turnout. Wesson played a major role in shepherding Charter Amendment C which allows police officers to have their cases heard by all-civilian boards onto the ballot in 2017. Many community advocates, including Black Lives Matter, were squarely against the measure, which was pushed by the police union. Voters approved the measure. First elected to the state Legislature in 2010, Mitchell represents the 30th Senate District, which stretches from Century City to South L.A. Her accomplishments include getting nearly 70 bills passed that targeted many systemic injustices in the criminal justice system, and inequities faced by foster youths and families. Mitchell has served as chair of the Senate Budget Committee since 2017, including this last year when the state faced a $54-billion shortfall. She successfully blocked cuts to Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital in South L.A. If Wesson is elected, he will be only the second Black man elected to the Board of Supervisors, once dubbed the five little kings and historically all white and male. If Mitchell wins, the Board of Supervisors will, for the first time, be an all-female board. Jaclyn Cosgrove Los Angeles City Council District 4 In a district that stretches from the Miracle Mile through the Hollywood Hills to Sherman Oaks, incumbent Los Angeles City Councilman David Ryu is competing against former nonprofit executive Nithya Raman. Key issues in the race include homelessness, revamping policing and combating corruption. Ryu has campaigned as a progressive reformer who championed new restrictions on political donations from real estate developers and pushed for new housing and shelter for homeless people. But Raman has challenged whether Ryu has done enough to advance progressive change at City Hall. She wants to create a new network of "community access centers" to assist homeless people and end policies that criminalize homelessness. Ryu, in turn, has argued that he has an established record of accomplishments in the city. Ryu and Raman have backed many of the same ideas, including full public financing for city candidates and expanding the council. Raman had called for a rent freeze during the primary; Ryu succeeded in pushing one through amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But the two differ on some key points. To combat corruption, Ryu wants to create a new office as a watchdog on development decisions; Raman argues that the city should instead bolster funding for the existing Ethics Commission. Both want "rent forgiveness" plans to relieve struggling tenants of rent debt, but disagree on how to fund them. Emily Alpert Reyes Los Angeles City Council District 10 L.A.'s 10th District, taking in Koreatown, Mid-City and parts of South Los Angeles, has had the same representative on the council for nearly 15 years: Herb Wesson, a well-known deal maker and former council president. Now, because of term limits, Wesson is looking to fill the seat currently held by County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. And Ridley-Thomas, another political veteran facing term limits, is hoping to replace Wesson on the council. First, however, he must square off against attorney Grace Yoo, his opponent in the Nov. 3 runoff election. Ridley-Thomas, a longtime civil rights advocate, has spent the last three decades winning elections, prevailing in city, county and state contests. He's looking to return to the council after an 18-year absence but is also seen as someone laying the groundwork for a run for L.A. mayor in the near future. Yoo, an activist and former executive director of the Korean American Coalition-Los Angeles, is making her second run at the seat. She's forged a reputation as a fighter against City Hall, pushing back against plans for ripping out trees in Hollywood, redrawing the city's council district boundaries and constructing a 27-story residential tower that would have been twice as dense as the city's rules allowed. With City Hall the subject of a far-reaching federal bribery inquiry, Yoo is running as a reformer, calling for funding at the city's Ethics Commission and city controller's office to be shielded from political intrusion. Yoo also wants to ensure that Ethics commissioners are no longer selected by the politicians they are assigned to watch over. Ridley-Thomas, in turn, has been running on his lengthy track record as an elected official, pointing to his work fighting homelessness, building affordable housing and reopening Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital in Willowbrook. The county supervisor also touts his recent effort to have local government treat systemic racism as a public health issue, one that affects education, employment, housing and many other areas especially for the county's Black residents. If he wins, Ridley-Thomas won't be able to use his experience on the council very long. Because of term limits, he is permitted to serve one final four-year term before stepping down. David Zahniser L.A. Board of Education District 3 District 3 stretches across most of the west San Fernando Valley. The most politically conservative board district, its voters rejected incumbents in three of the last four elections. The race presents a choice between one-term incumbent Scott Schmerelson, who is supported by the teachers union, and Marilyn Koziatek, who works at a charter school and is supported by charter backers. A former Spanish teacher, Schmerelson, 69, was a longtime and well-liked principal. He relishes going to campuses and trying to problem-solve local, campus-based issues. He also says hes worked successfully to give parents greater voice through committees and forums, especially on behalf of children with special needs, while also acknowledging that the district can do more. Schmerelson has been a reliable ally for teachers union efforts to limit the expansion of charter schools, but some charters are well regarded in his district, and he generally does not interfere with their operations. He finished first in the primary, with 42% of the vote. Koziatek, 39, manages community outreach for Granada Hills Charter High School, helping to oversee public relations, parent communication and work on obtaining grants. Shes also active in local civic organizations, frequently on matters related to education. She promotes her parent perspective, as no current board member has children now in school. While Koziatek praises her childrens neighborhood elementary school, she takes aim at Schmerelson as representing a status quo that has not accomplished enough on behalf of students. Howard Blume L.A. Board of Education District 7 The winner of this contest will replace longtime incumbent and current board President Richard Vladovic, who is barred from seeking reelection by term limits. The district stretches from South L.A. to the Harbor area. The candidates backed by the teachers union need to win both races or the majority of the board will shift to candidates backed by donors who support charter schools. Patricia Castellanos, 50, would bring a union ally to the board, one who would work to limit situations in which neighborhood schools are required to share their campuses with privately operated charter schools. State law requires the district to offer space to charters. Most recently, shes worked as a deputy to county Supervisor Sheila Kuehl on job creation efforts. Shes also been involved in labor-backed campaigns to improve air quality and working conditions at the port. She says she would bring a parent's perspective to the board and political savvy that would help in policy and funding battles. Her opponent, Tanya Ortiz Franklin, 36, is steeped in school site issues as part of the leadership team at the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, a nonprofit that manages 19 of the districts historically lowest-performing campuses. Franklin is particularly experienced in restorative justice, which replaces student suspensions with intensive counseling. She's also worked on elementary arts instruction and as part of the nonprofit's policy team. Although campaign spending in support of Franklin is mostly from donors whove supported non-district-run charter schools, her career is rooted in district schools. She says she has a concerted focus on equity that goes back to seeing only half her classmates graduate from her local public high school. Howard Blume Measure RR L.A. Unified school construction and renovation bonds Twelve years after voters approved the $7-billion Measure Q, L.A. Unified is back with Measure RR, a $7-billion bond proposal that would pay for campus renovation and construction as well as technology. Supporters of the measure, which include major business and labor groups, hope the chances for passage will be strong in November, when the presidential election will bring out more voters who are likely to support spending on schools. The measure requires 55% of the vote to pass. The district has a long list of repairs and upgrades, including work on ceilings, bus purchases, new air conditioners and seismic retrofits. Also on the list are mobile computers and other technology. Using bond funds which are repaid over decades for short-lived technology has been controversial in the past, but became accepted practice this spring when the pandemic forced campuses to close. The district used nearly $80 million left over from previous bonds to purchase computers for students to use at home. The bond would increase property taxes. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. opposes the measure as an unfair additional burden, asserting that past bond funds have not been spent efficiently. To pay for Measure RR, property owners would be taxed an average additional fee of $22 a year per $100,000 of assessed property value. Howard Blume This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. 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 Investigation into criminal case against Togliattikhimbank ex-head completed RAPSI 11:02 08/10/2020 MOSCOW, October 8 (RAPSI) - The Main Directorate for Investigation of Major Cases of the Investigative Committee of Russia has completed investigation into a criminal case against the former chairperson of the board of Togliattikhimbank Alexander Popov, the directorate has announced. The banker is accused of attempted giving a $2 million bribe (Article 30.3, Article 291.5 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The episode of bribing judges of Russias Supreme Court (SC) was revealed during the investigation of a case under the Article 210.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation; a separate proceeding for it was established. The Investigative Committee initiated the case under Article 210 on May 16, 2019. The documents of the investigation say that the criminals (the accused in the case Alexander Popov, Vladimir and Sergey Makhlai, Andreas Zivy and others a total of more than 10 people) acting in the form of a structured organized group, in the period from 2005 to 2013, committed several serious economic crimes against the state, against the property of Togliattiazot, and other persons." Popov was arrested at Vnukovo airport on May 31, 2019 and detained on the same day. Investigators believe that Popov played a key role in illegal schemes to transfer ToAZ's profits to off shores, the damage from which amounted to 85 billion rubles ($1 billion rubles at the current exchange rate), as well as to sell the most liquid assets of the enterprise along with land plots, due to which the plant and its shareholders suffered damage of more than 2 billion rubles. In addition, the investigation noted that Popov used to involve many companies and individuals in the implementation of criminal schemes, and mainly his subordinates who were dependent on him due to official relations. Popov's guilt in the bribery case was fully confirmed; the Investigative Committee forwarded the case to the Russian Prosecutor General's Office to make a decision on transfer of the materials to court. According to the investigation, the beneficial owner and head of Togliattiazot OJSC Sergey Makhlai, being a defendant in a criminal case on the theft of the company's products, was also brought to responsibility for a tax offense following the results of an on-site tax audit. As stated in the announcement of the Investigative Committee of Russia, in order to avoid the obligation to pay taxes, as well as evade criminal liability, he decided to give (through an intermediary) a judge of the Supreme Court of Russia a bribe in the amount of at least $2 million for making a deliberately illegal judicial act in favor of Togliattiazot OJSC that would overturn the decision of the tax authority. According to the directorate, "he intended to use the issued judicial act in solving issues related to his criminal prosecution." To commit this crime, he involved the chairperson of the board of Togliattikhimbank Alexander Popov. The latter, acting on Makhlai's instructions, developed a criminal plan in 2015. At the same time, using his official position, bypassing the official registration of documentation, he had no problems opening a cell in his bank, where he placed a part of the bribe given to the actual disposal of intermediaries. Popov could not complete his criminal intent due to circumstances beyond his control, the Investigative Committee said. As part of the investigation, in order to ensure execution of a possible verdict, Popov's property (namely, 293 land plots belonging to him) was seized by court. As noted in the announcement, the investigation has collected sufficient evidence, in connection with which the criminal case was sent to the Russian General Prosecutor's Office to resolve the issue of approving the indictment and then transferring it to the court for consideration on the merits. Investigators recalled that Sergey Makhlai is on the federal and international wanted list. At the same time, he was previously sentenced in absentia for the theft of Togliattiazot products. El presidente @MartinVizcarraC preside la ceremonia de conmemoracion por el 199. aniversario de la Marina de Guerra del Peru y el 141. aniversario del Combate Naval de Angamos. En vivo: https://t.co/U1juwf2n6a#199AniversarioMGP #141AniversariodelCombatedeAngamos pic.twitter.com/SHoPlu5uKm A Kansas woman got a life sentence for removing the head of her ex-boyfriend's mother. She used two steak knives to do it, leaving the head in the kitchen sink. Sentenced by the courts is Rachael Hilyard, 38, from Wichita, who slew Micki Davis, 63, by removing her head. According to prosecutors, it is premeditated by the convicted woman, reported Daily Mail. The victim died when she went to then ex-girlfriend of her son to pick up his belongings on April 9, 2017. Courts sentenced Hilyard later after committing the crime. With the elder, Davis was her nine-year-old grandson, who accompanied her to the ex's home. The child was there when the trouble started and ran for help before granny was decapitated, cited Fox23. When the authorities arrived, the victim's body was found headless in the garage lying in blood. The head was found in the kitchen sink by them. During the hearing, the then accused had apologized for the killing of the Davis Matriarch. The attendees where the Davis family members who were in court or via Zoom call. She said to the relatives that the death sentence was too good for her, adding that she felt regret for her actions. To those who knew the victim and had affection for her, she was profusely sorry to everyone. That included her family, grandchild, friends, her neighbors, expressing regret for what she has become, mentioned CBS18 The old woman's killing had shocked the family members, called the culprit a monster for the killing. They were there to see her sentenced. Also read: Hartford Man Decapitates Roommate With Samurai Sword Over Heated Argument Jeremy Rush, who was with Micki when it happened, said something according to KAKE.com. Mom said hate is the worst word to speak to anyone. And his mom would not scold him to say it. The child expressed anger that can never be forgotten nor stop being angry. Jacona Gillespie, the daughter of Hilyard, had things to say about the victim. Saying that Micki was not as she seems. She is a monster, a mother who terrified her son and her entire family. Adding the beheading victim was selfish and not always right when represented by her family. On Tuesday, the judge on the cause said the accused mental state when the victim died did not absolve her. Judge Bruce Brown added that mental health has no bearing on the crime. Nor does a head injury justify murderous outcomes. Lastly, saying that he was at a loss for words at what Hilyard did. The Davis family said the convicted felon could never be forgiven. Her daughter chimed in to defend her mother and said the victim was dead, the living need to move on, According to Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett, Hilyard had attacked the older woman who provoked her. She was deemed Guilty in February. Bennet said that Hilyard finishes what they started and used two knives to behead Davis. One knife broke, and another used to cut her head off. The struggle began when Davis pounced on the elder woman, who was overcome by her attack. Sources say that part of the problem was her boyfriend, and then his mother made it worse. For decapitating the victim, she got life but parole in 50 years. Related article: Request of Tennessee Man Accused of Parricide To Not Reveal Crime Photos Denied by Court @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. By Daniela Desantis ASUNCION (Reuters) - Paraguay's Finance Minister Benigno Lopez will step down from his ministry position in the next few days to take a senior role at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a government source told Reuters on Thursday. The regional lender has picked Lopez as vice president for sectors and knowledge, according to a note seen by Reuters, which would involve a three-year term starting in mid-October. The government source said Lopez would be formally appointed to the IDB role in the coming days. The most likely replacement is former minister Ernst Bergen, the current Paraguayan head of the bi-national Itaipu hydroelectric dam. Lopez is the half-brother of Paraguayan President Mario Abdo and one of the government's main advisers. Before being Minister of Finance, he was head of the pension authority and director of the central bank, where he worked for more than two decades. An IDB spokesman said that the bank had no comment on specific appointments, but added that newly elected IBD head Mauricio Claver-Carone was putting together a new leadership team as part of his plans. (Reporting by Daniela Desantis; Writing by Adam Jourdan; Editing by Nick Zieminski) Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki, center, speaks during a National Assembly annual inspection session held at the ministry's main building located in Sejong City's government complex, Wednesday. / Yonhap By Anna J. Park One of the most controversial current financial issues has been the government's plan to lower the criteria for being considered a major shareholder. While the finance ministry delayed the imposition of a capital gains tax of 20 percent to 25 percent on all stock retail investors who earn more than 50 million won ($43,000) starting in 2023, the government has been reiterating its intent to stick to its original plan to lower the minimum requirement of a major shareholder within this year and to begin imposing a capital gains tax on them from next year. Current tax law states that a person or a group of direct family members who own more than 1 billion won worth of stocks in a given company is considered a major shareholder and is subject to a capital gains tax of 22 percent to 33 percent. The finance ministry's plan is to change the minimum requirement of 1 billion won to 300 million won by the end of the year, saying that this change was already announced when related ordinance was drafted two years ago. Retail investors' fury over finance ministry's arbitrariness However, retail investors are infuriated over the finance ministry's move, and their rage is quite understandable. A series of reasonable questions naturally pop up in a layperson's mind upon hearing the news. First, where does that figure of "300 million won" a whopping 70 percent change from this year's requirement come from? Secondly, why does the government need to drastically lower the minimum requirement for being a major shareholder in the span of just a few years? Just three years ago, the minimum amount of stocks that a person or owner family had to own was 2.5 billion won, which is more than eight times the government's planned 300 million won. The government lowered the criteria to 1.5 billion won in 2018, and to 1 billion won in 2020. It is hard to fathom why the minimum requirement of being a major shareholder should be reduced so radically in such a short period of time. What is the exact logical and calculative basis for such a change? Unfortunately, no finance ministry officials could fully provide a clear explanation or rationale behind the seemingly arbitrary numbers. What was more troublesome than this sudden and arbitrary change of standard was the fact that the tax would be levied on the aggregated sum of stocks owned by all direct family members, such as spouses, parents, children and grandchildren. Retail investors, angered about such unreasonable taxation standards, filed an online petition at the official website of Cheong Wa Dae in early September, gaining 216,844 people's signatures as of 3 p.m. Thursday. Finance ministry considers individual taxation One consolation for the retail investors' resentment would be that the finance minister said the ministry is currently looking into a possible change of the taxation standard, from the current aggregation among family members to an individual basis. The comment was made during Wednesday's National Assembly annual inspection session held at the finance ministry's building in Sejong City. Other than this point, the finance minister didn't budge from his original position that the government's plan should be pushed ahead as it planned for the sake of policy consistency and equity in taxation. His inflexible position was criticized in a rare unison voice by lawmakers from both political camps. Although it's understandable that equitable taxation between capital gains and labor income should be respected, the finance ministry could take a much more sophisticated approach to minimize the shock to local stock markets and to gain public trust. For example, gradually lowering the minimum level to 500 million won or 700 million won for 2021, instead of suddenly going for the 70 percent cut, could've been an option. Also given the unique circumstances of COVID-19 this year, delaying the imposition for a couple of years to 2023 when the capital gains tax will be levied upon all investors could've reduced investors' psychological barriers for the changed taxation rule. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 17:38:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's transport operators will see a surge in return trips on Thursday as an eight-day national holiday draws to a close. On Thursday, 13 million train trips are expected, and 1,234 additional trains have been put into operation to handle the spike in trips involving tourism and family visits, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. China's daily train trips had exceeded 10 million for eight consecutive days by Wednesday, the railway operator said. In a bid to cope with the surging passenger flow, airliners used widebody aircraft for over 30 popular routes connecting Xi'an and Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hangzhou. The country's transport sector maintained stable and orderly operation during the extended holiday, the Ministry of Transport said Thursday. China celebrates its National Day on Oct. 1, and the weeklong holiday this year has been extended to Oct. 8 as it overlapped with the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional festival symbolizing family reunion that falls on Aug. 15 on the lunar calendar. Enditem Students stage demonstration at the Town Hall premises in Mymensingh on Wednesday protesting rape and violence across the country. Kristalina Georgieva, the Managing Director of International Monetary Fund, said during an online event said that "The global economy is coming back from the depths of this crisis. But this calamity is far from over. All countries are now facing what I would call 'the long ascent' - a difficult climb that will be long, uneven, and uncertain. And prone to setbacks," she added ahead of the next week's IMF and World Bank annual meetings. "Since the Great Depression of the 1930s, the IMF in June forecasted the sharpest contraction in the global gross domestic product by 4.9% due to the coronavirus-related shutdowns. This necessitates more policy support from governments and central banks. The revised forecast will be published next week as member countries participate in the meetings, mostly online. Georgieva said the IMF was continuing to focus on a partial and uneven recovery in 2021. In June, it forecast 2021 global growth of 5.4 percent. Advanced economies including the United States and the eurozone, escaped the worst damage of the pandemic due to $12 trillion fiscal support, coupled with unprecedented monetary easing and some business sectors are still in operation amid pandemic", she added. This provided a positive hope for the economies, but Georgieva necessitates countries to keep up support for their economies, and warns the global growth would stay subdued for the medium term and the risk of severe economic scarring was high."We are very clear in the message, we are communicating to not withdraw support prematurely," Georgieva said. "If we do so, then we risk massive bankruptcies and massive unemployment." Also Read: IMF appreciates PM Modi's concept of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' The Winners of National Startup Awards 2020 was given by Government of India Indian start-ups giants are focussing more on "Made in India" Camper fire claims the life of two people in Marshall County The governor of the Libyan central bank has called for the increase of oil production to 1.7 million bpd as soon as possible as the countrys economy continues to struggle amid a seemingly never-ending civil war. We need to raise the production to 1.7 million barrels per day to cover the countrys spending, Sadiq Al-Kabir said, adding that production outages since 2013 had resulted in losses of some $180 billion. A lot of these losses were incurred since the start of this year, when the eastern government-affiliated LNA and associated groups blockaded Libyas oil export terminals as the LNA tried to wrest control of the country from the Government of National Accord, which is the one recognized by the United Nations. The blockade was only lifted last month, from three terminals, and the National Oil Corporation immediately began raising oil production at the fields that feed oil into these three terminals. From less than 100,000 bpd in early September, oil production has now reached 300,000 bpd. Exports, as a result, are also on the rise at the three terminals that eastern-affiliated forces have allowed to reopen last month. The Brega terminal is likely to see some 1.8 million barrels exported this month, divided into three cargos, while the Hariga terminal has already loaded two cargos of one million barrels each, Bloomberg reported, citing a cargo loading program. The third free terminal, Zueitina, is scheduled to export five cargoes of crude this month. Yet the situation remains fraught with uncertainty, with the risk of another blockade always present in the context of continued disagreements between different factions on who should rule the country and control its oil wealth. Whats more, Libyas largest oil field, El Sharara is still offline and without it, NOC will be hard pressed to lift production to anything near the central bank governors target of 1.7 million bpd. Before the blockade, Libya was pumping some 1.2 million bpd, including from 200,000-bpd El Sharara. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 23:51:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People wearing face masks walk on a street in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on Oct. 8, 2020. With 387 new cases in the past 24 hours, Slovenia's daily COVID-19 cases hit a new high, according to official figures released on Thursday. In the past day, new cases were recorded in more than half of Slovenia's municipalities. The capital Ljubljana now has 449 active cases after a daily jump of 64, showed data from the official COVID-19 tracker site. (Photo by Zeljko Stevanic/Xinhua) LJUBLJANA, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- With 387 new cases in the past 24 hours, Slovenia's daily COVID-19 cases hit a new high, according to official figures released on Thursday. In the past day, new cases were recorded in more than half of Slovenia's municipalities. The capital Ljubljana now has 449 active cases after a daily jump of 64, showed data from the official COVID-19 tracker site. To date, the country has a total of 7,507 cases, with 2,692 active ones. The number of patients currently in hospital rises from 122 to 131 -- a new record since March, whereas 21 patients are in intensive care units, according the official data. The government has announced new restrictions amid the rising cases. They include a ban on gatherings of more than ten people, effective from Friday. Enditem US President Donald Trump leaves Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland boarding Marine One on October 5, 2020, to return to the White House after being discharged. AFP-Yonhap By Robert Delaney US President Donald Trump, appearing at the White House for the first time since he returned from hospital on Monday night, vowed to "make China pay" for damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic and called his infection "a blessing from God". Speaking effusively about the medications that made him feel "great" in particular an experimental antibody therapy known as REGN-COV2 developed by American biotechnology company Regeneron Trump said in a video posted to Twitter that he wanted to speed up availability of the drug for Covid-19 patients. "I want to get to you what I got and I'm going to make it free," Trump said. "It wasn't your fault that this happened, it was China's fault, and China is going to pay a big price (for) what they've done to this country. China's going to pay a big price, what they've done to the world. This was China's fault. "I feel, like, perfect, so I think this was a blessing from God that I caught it," he said. "This was a blessing in disguise." Trump received the antibody cocktail before he was admitted to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre last week, when he developed a fever and other symptoms related to his Covid-19 infection. During Trump's three days in the facility, he was also given multiple doses of the antiviral drug, Remdesivir and a steroid dexamethasone, usually used to treat inflammation in people who have severe cases of Covid-19. The president also vowed to push the US Food and Drug Administration to issue an emergency use authorisation to administer the medication to Covid-19 patients. Aruna Subramanian, an infectious disease specialist at Stanford University, said that Trump's rush for FDA approval for the antibody therapy was "shocking", adding that his praise to God for the infection "makes my stomach turn". President Donald Trump stands on the balcony outside of the Blue Room as returns to the White House Monday, Oct. 5, 2020, in Washington, after leaving Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md. AP Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 22:17:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Beijing received more than 9.98 million visits during the eight-day National Day holiday ending on Thursday, up by 8.4 percent from the holiday last year, according to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism. Among them, over 4.07 million visits were from outside Beijing, rising by 5.4 percent. Beijing residents made some 5.91 million trips in the city, up by 10.6 percent. The tourism revenue totaled 2.39 billion yuan (about 351 million U.S. dollars) during the holiday, up by 25 percent. From Oct. 1-8, Beijing authorities conducted law enforcement patrols and inspections on 2,807 travel agencies, 373 scenic spots, and 335 tourist groups, in a bid to ensure order and safety for tourists in the city. Enditem USD 36m in Stolen Bitfinex Bitcoin Moved, Botched BTC ATM Theft + More News Get your daily, bite-sized digest of cryptoasset and blockchain-related news investigating the stories flying under the radar of todays crypto news. Source: Adobe/stockcrafter Crime news Almost USD 36m worth of bitcoin (BTC) associated with the massive 2016 hack of crypto exchange Bitfinex was moved across elven transactions on Wednesday and Thursday, according to blockchain tracker bot Whale Alert. was moved across elven transactions on Wednesday and Thursday, according to blockchain tracker bot Whale Alert. Two suspects attempted a break-and-enter of a longstanding L&D Meats and Deli in the Canadian city of Kelowna, leaving it out of commission because of a botched bitcoin (BTC) theft. Vernon Morning Star reported that the target was a bitcoin machine next door at Mikes Produce located against the back wall of the shop, but the thieves were unable to get it out, fled, and backed into L&D Meats and Deli, smashing through the front wall. Blockchain news Professional services firm KPMG announced a new patent-pending blockchain-based capability, Climate Accounting Infrastructure (CAI), meant to help organizations more accurately measure, mitigate, report, and offset their greenhouse gas emissions, said the press release. It added that, in order to support transparent and reliable reporting of emissions data, CAI will integrate an organization's existing systems, including Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, with external data sources to establish a verifiable trail of emissions and offsets recorded on blockchain. announced a new patent-pending blockchain-based capability, Climate Accounting Infrastructure (CAI), meant to help organizations more accurately measure, mitigate, report, and offset their greenhouse gas emissions, said the press release. It added that, in order to support transparent and reliable reporting of emissions data, CAI will integrate an organization's existing systems, including Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, with external data sources to establish a verifiable trail of emissions and offsets recorded on blockchain. The Mobility Open Blockchain Initiative (MOBI)s member-led Electric Vehicle Grid Integration (EVGI) Working Group is tackling energy and climate challenges by working on a decentralized, electrified mobility future. Per the announcement, the Working Group created and launched the automotive industrys first global standard incorporating blockchain technology into a decentralized vehicle charging system. Its first released technical design specification covers the system designs and data schemas required for three core use case areas: Vehicle to Grid Integration, Tokenized Carbon Credits, and Peer to Peer applications. (MOBI)s member-led (EVGI) Working Group is tackling energy and climate challenges by working on a decentralized, electrified mobility future. Per the announcement, the Working Group created and launched the automotive industrys first global standard incorporating blockchain technology into a decentralized vehicle charging system. Its first released technical design specification covers the system designs and data schemas required for three core use case areas: Vehicle to Grid Integration, Tokenized Carbon Credits, and Peer to Peer applications. The provincial legal authorities in Anhui Province, China, are set to pilot a blockchain-based paperless appointment platform, per Chinas Legal Daily. The platform will let companies and individuals do away with paperwork when they want to appoint a lawyer or a legal team a process that typically involves an exchange of signed, paper contracts. Legal bodies all over China have been looking at ways to do away with some of the paper-based documentation that slows down lawyers and their clients including a blockchain-powered notary service pilot in Shanghai, the Middle Kingdoms second city. Mining news Listed cryptocurrency mining company Riot Blockchain said it continues its operational expansion with the purchase of an additional 2,500 next-generation S19 Pro Antminer (110 TH/s) cryptocurrency miners for USD 6m from Bitmain, scheduled for receipt and deployment delivery in December 2020. Per the press release, combined with the previously disclosed purchases of Bitmain S19 Pro Antminers, Riot Blockchain now expects to achieve a total hash rate capacity of 2.3 EH/s by June 2021, with 22,640 total miners deployed. Exchanges news The Ukrainian crypto exchange Kuna has issued Kyiv mayoral candidate-themed tokens, per an announcement on its official Telegram channel. The exchange has issued a total of seven different tokens for each of the leading candidates in the race including the incumbent mayor and former heavyweight boxer Vitaliy Klitchko. A million tokens have been created for each tokenized candidate all built on the Ethereum ERC-20 protocol. Kuna said the price of the tokens will fluctuate to reflect the likelihood of a particular candidate winning or reaching the second round of voting. The Ukrainian capital goes to the polls on October 25. has issued Kyiv mayoral candidate-themed tokens, per an announcement on its official Telegram channel. The exchange has issued a total of seven different tokens for each of the leading candidates in the race including the incumbent mayor and former heavyweight boxer Vitaliy Klitchko. A million tokens have been created for each tokenized candidate all built on the Ethereum ERC-20 protocol. Kuna said the price of the tokens will fluctuate to reflect the likelihood of a particular candidate winning or reaching the second round of voting. The Ukrainian capital goes to the polls on October 25. The Japanese crypto exchange Decurret said that is set to launch a blockchain-powered digital currency issuance and management platform that will also be capable of issuing blockchain-powered digital gift certificates for local governments. Local, blockchain-powered digital gift certificates and tokens have proven massive hit across the sea to the west in South Korea, with a select few companies cornering the market for issuance and experiencing meteoric growth as a result. Career news 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. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 8) The construction of the Malolos-Clark Railway Project will begin in November, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr). The Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 2, from Malolos in Bulacan to Clark in Pampanga, is part of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Extension Project. Transportation Secretary Art Tugade said the Malolos-Clark Railway is expected to partially operate by 2023 given that there are no delays in the construction. The Phase 2 covers stations in Calumpit town in Bulacan, and in Apalit, San Fernando City, Angeles City, Clark and Clark International Airport (CRK) in Pampanga. Once it partially operates, the DOTr said the travel time from Malolos to Clark will be down to only 30 to 35 minutes from the usual one hour and 30 minutes. The projects construction was greenlighted after the three remaining contract packages for the segment have been signed on Thursday morning. The DOTr explained these contract packages are necessary to complete the five civil works packages needed for the start of the construction. Package 1 will be built by Megawide Construction and Korean partners Hyundai Engineering and Construction and Dong-Ah Geological Engineering. It covers two station buildings, 17 kilometers of elevated rail viaduct, and seven balanced cantilever bridges from Malolos to Minalin town in Pampanga. Package 2, meanwhile, will be constructed by the joint venture of Spanish conglomerate Acciona and Korean construction company Daelim Industrial. The package includes one station building and 16 kilometers of elevated viaduct from the town of Minalin, Sto. Tomas up to San Fernando City. Package 3, on the other hand, will be built by Thai construction firm Italian-Thai Development Public Company. It encompasses two station buildings and 12 kilometers of elevated viaduct from San Fernando City, Angeles City, up to Mabalacat in Pampanga. The packages cost 28.37 billion, 33.70 billion, and 22.77 billion respectively. I have always envied countries like [South] Korea, Spain, and Thailand where the transport facilities making the connectivity to their airports are fast, quick, and smooth, Tugade said. Thats why them serving as a model, we try to imitate them. Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said the 53-kilometer railway from Malolos to Clark is expected to be completed by 2025. The NSCR, meanwhile, is one of DOTrs flagship infrastructure projects under the Duterte Administrations ambitious Build, Build, Build Program. The 148-kilometer railway system stretches from Calamba, Laguna to CRK. Its expected to serve over 830,000 passengers daily. Aside from the PNR Clark Phase 2, the DOTr is targeting the Phase 1 from Tutuban in Manila to Malolos, Bulacan to partially operate by December 2021. The PNR Calamba, meanwhile, is expected to partially operate by 2024. The 56-kilometer leg runs from Solis Street in Tondo, Manila to Calamba City. The NSCR also features the countrys first Airport Express Service from CRK to Makati City. The DOTr said travel time will be cut from more than two hours by car to only one hour via the Airport Express. Yung riles ho, yung tren na itinatayo natin 160 kilometers per hour kaya nga express ho ito walang stop, Tugade added. [Translation: The railway, the train we are building will run for 160 kilometers per hour, that's why it's an express, it would be non-stop.] 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. (CNN) Vice President Mike Pence tried his best on Wednesday to recast the reality of Donald Trump's presidency, but Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic pick for his job, refused to let him spin away the nation's current dire plight during their single debate. "The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country," the California senator said in her first answer in Salt Lake City, pinning Pence with the deaths of more than 210,000 Americans from Covid-19. "They knew what was happening, and they didn't tell you," Harris said. "They knew and they covered it up. ... The President said you're on one side of his ledger if you wear a mask, you're on the other side of his ledger if you don't. And in spite of all of that, today they still don't have a plan." Harris -- from a multi-racial, immigrant family from the liberal West Coast -- and Pence -- the white, male conservative, evangelical product of the heartland -- were an apt representation of the two Americas disputing the election and whose divergent paths and belief systems are at the root of the country's current political estrangement. While both Pence and Harris refused to say whether they had discussed the ticklish topic of the succession with their septuagenarian ticket toppers, given their assured performances at the debate it would not be a stretch to envision either of them in the Oval Office. The debate might actually have been the most normal moment of a campaign warped by a once-in-a-century pandemic, virtual conventions, darkened rallies and constant eruptions by a volcanic commander-in-chief. It unfolded against a backdrop of more than 7.5 million coronavirus infections, millions of Americans out of work and with many schools kids and students stuck at home in unsatisfactory online lessons. And in a moment that summed up the White House's repeated flouting of public health recommendations, second lady Karen Pence removed her facemask as she stood on stage with her husband following the event, in an apparent infringement of agreed upon rules. Harris' husband, Douglas Emhoff, kept his mask on when he went on stage to congratulate his wife. Back in Washington, aides who wanted to talk to a sickened President who disdains masks and social distancing had to don face-coverings and surgical gowns. True to form, Trump couldn't let Pence have his one night in the spotlight all to himself, releasing a video hours before his running mate went on stage that proclaimed his own Covid-19 infection was a "blessing from God" while again downplaying the disease and over-hyping the availability of therapies and coming vaccines. His intervention encapsulated Pence's burden: trying to impose a sheen of success on a presidency that while wildly popular with the conservative base is seen by a majority of voters as unmoored amid a clutch of crises over public health, the economy and race less than four weeks from Election Day. 'Excuse me, Mr. Vice President, I'm speaking' Both Pence and Harris did what conventional, polished politicians do -- they landed blows, probed one another's weaknesses and artfully dodged the questions for which they did not have a politically safe answer. It was largely a civil affair after last week's meltdown in front of millions of viewers by an over-torqued Trump. Harris several times was forced to stifle Pence, who frequently spoke past his time, with the words, "Excuse me, Mr. Vice President, I'm speaking" -- a retort weighted by the gender and racial dimensions given her historic status vying to become the first Black and South Asian American female vice president, and her nomination has already made history. But the interruptions went both ways, and there was no need to drown out Pence, as smooth and priestly as ever, with "the shut up man!" admonition employed by Democratic nominee Joe Biden last week. Pence, who as the head of the coronavirus task force shares blame for the chaotic response to the crisis, tried as he often does to project optimism about the pandemic. But the fact he's been doing so for months tended to undercut his effectiveness. In a brazen moment, he accused Harris of politicizing hoped-for vaccines and disrespecting the sacrifices of Americans during a dark time. "Stop playing politics with people's lives," Pence warned Harris in an ironic assault since Trump has consistently put his own political needs ahead of a fact-based approach to an emergency that has devastated normal life. The vice president fell back on familiar and fact-twisting arguments that Trump had saved millions of lives, misrepresenting his China travel ban and hyping the prospect of vaccines that experts say may get approved this year but will not be available to most Americans until well into 2021. Often, Pence delivered the same misinformation as the President about the pandemic, even if his courtly manner did not make the transgressions seem so flagrant. Harris repeatedly brought the argument back to an indictment of the Trump-Pence response to the virus. The two plexiglass screens between the candidates were a constant reminder of the issue that the vice president could not escape. Both candidates can walk away satisfied More Americans said Harris did the best job in the vice presidential debate Wednesday night, according to a CNN Instant Poll of registered voters who watched. About 6-in-10 (59%) said Harris won, while 38% said Pence had the better night -- but the results aren't likely to change the trajectory of the race. Pence accomplished what he came to do -- defending Trump -- and was most effective in cross-examining Harris on whether Democrats would try to increase the size of the Supreme Court bench to subvert Trump's conservative majority. He was also strong on the economy. He took aim at Biden when Harris attacked the President's trade wars, calling the top Democrat on the ticket a "cheerleader for Communist China through several decades." Harris didn't do much to clear up Biden's climate change policy as Republicans accuse him of embracing the liberal Green New Deal approach they claim will kill the energy industry and jobs. And the California senator demanded the White House let voters decide on the destiny of the Supreme Court, pushing back against Trump's nomination of conservative favorite Judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Harris also made hay over The New York Times report about Trump's repeated failure to pay federal taxes and contribution of only $750 in 2016 and 2017 -- demanding to know to whom the commander in chief owed $400 million. Pence repeated the President's denials and claimed -- not that convincingly -- that his boss had paid "millions of dollars" in taxes. In a worrying sign, in an election that could tear at constitutional norms, Pence joined his boss in refusing to guarantee a peaceful transfer of power. And he parroted conservative media talking points pushing back against the truth that Trump declined to disavow white supremacists during last week's fiery first debate with Biden. Crucially for Democrats, Harris made no errors likely to slow Biden's momentum -- as their campaign piles up double digit leads in national polls. She showed empathy for the bereaved amid the pandemic and for the millions who have lost their jobs. She only slipped into her more familiar prosecutorial mode once in the evening -- on the issue of criminal justice -- a key Trump theme. Conservatives likely thought Pence did great and find the prospect of a Harris vice presidency horrifying. The same is undoubtedly true the other way around. Liberals could find much to embrace in Harris' performance while viewing Pence as on a different ideological planet. But given that Trump's campaign desperately needs a reset, and a ray of hope going into the final three weeks of the campaign with the convalescing President on the sidelines, it was ultimately probably a more satisfactory night for the Democratic campaign. And while they often provide entertaining moments, vice presidential debates don't decide elections, a truism that is even more appropriate this year with the most tumultuous presidency in generations is on the ballot. Ultimately, in years to come, history might remember the night not for the jousting of two capable performers but for the single fly that settled on Pence's white hair at one point, spawning scores of instant social media memes. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Pence does his best but Harris won't let him explain away Trump's failures." Helen Adeosun Helen Adeosun Washington, DC, Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Caregiver Action Network (CAN), the nations leading family caregiving organization, recently announced its newest board member at the annual board meeting. Helen Adeosun, EdM the Founder and CEO of CareAcademy, a provider of advanced caregiver training and compliance solutions for the Home Care industry, joins the board effective immediately. Throughout my career, I have long admired CANs mission and laser focus on creating holistic support for Americas caregivers, said Adeosun. The COVID-19 pandemic rests on the shoulders of caregivers, and with that challenge comes great opportunity to enhance lives. I am excited to join CANs Board of Directors as we continue to elevate the critical role of caregivers, especially in this moment. Helen Adeosun is passionate about caregiving and the impact that the right caregiver can have on families. As an educator and workplace trainer, she has had a career in driving outcomes for adult learners and finding meaningful ways for them to engage in learning. Helen has worked with Teach for America, Boston Public Schools, and Pearson Education as well as a number of companies focused on caregiving issues. CareAcademy was born out of her own first-hand knowledge and experience as a caregiver, and the companys mission is to help address the critical shortage of caregivers and empower caregivers to learn and deliver the best care to older adults. Helen holds a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame in Politics and Arabic Studies, and a EdM from Harvard University in Education Policy and Management. We are pleased to welcome an exceptional educator and innovator, Helen Adeosun, to CANs Board, said John Schall, CAN Chief Executive Officer. Our organization will benefit from her experience as a family caregiver, in addition to her extensive work in education and workplace training. Helens enthusiasm for helping Americas family caregivers overcome the issues they face, especially now when caregiving has become increasingly difficult, and her leadership and proven industry success, will help to support CANs critical role as the nations leading family caregiver organization. Story continues CANs Board of Directors Melissa Rowley, Founder & CEO, Marage, LLC, Chair Michael Shaughnessy, Account Director, TMP Government, LLC, Vice Chair Marion T. R. Watkins, Alston & Bird, LLP, Office of Senator Robert Dole, Treasurer Joff Masukawa, President, Diligentia Strategy, Secretary Helen Adeosun, EdM, CEO, Founder, CareAcademy Michelle Baker, Executive Vice President, Signal Group Andrea Cohen, Co-founder & CEO, HouseWorks Joseph Delahunty, VP, Global Head of Communications, Ascensia Diabetes Care Wes Metheny, Partner, Penn Quarter Partners Denise Henry Morrisey, Partner, Capitol Counsel Ellis Rosenberg, President, Democracy Consulting Group Anne Tumlinson, CEO, Anne Tumlinson Innovations Dhruv Vasishtha, Senior Product Manager, PatientPing About CAN Caregiver Action Network is the nations leading family caregiver organization working to improve the quality of life for more than 90 million Americans who care for loved ones with chronic conditions, disabilities, disease, or the frailties of old age. CAN serves a broad spectrum of family caregivers ranging from the parents of children with special needs, to the families and friends of wounded soldiers; from a young couple dealing with a diagnosis of MS, to adult children caring for parents with Alzheimers disease. CAN reaches caregivers on multiple platforms. CAN (formerly the National Family Caregivers Association) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing education, peer support, and resources to family caregivers across the country free of charge Attachment CONTACT: Jason Crosby Caregiver Action Network 2024543931 JCrosby@caregiveraction.org 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. Donald Trump; Nancy Pelosi Donald Trump and Nancy Pelosi Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) hinted at the possibility of a push for the invocation of the 25th Amendment in the wake of President Donald Trump's illness. At her weekly press conference, the California lawmaker revealed she and her Democratic colleagues will be discussing the 25th Amendment on Friday amid growing concerns about the president's condition. "Tomorrow, by the way, tomorrow, come here tomorrow. We're going to be talking about the 25th Amendment. But not to take attention away from the subject we have now," she said. The top-ranking Democrat also discussed another key question she and other Democratic lawmakers have raised. Although Trump tested positive more than a week ago, the White House has yet to reveal when the president's last negative COVID test was a critical piece of information needed for contact tracing. Pelosi also expressed concern about the Trump administration's lack of transparency regarding the president's illness and the coronavirus outbreak at the White House. Related Articles "I'm not talking about it today except to tell you, if you want to talk about that, we'll see you tomorrow," she said. "But you take me back to my point, Mr. President, when was the last time you had a negative test before you tested positive? Why is the White House not telling the country that important fact about how this made a hotspot of the White House?" Although Pelosi was asked for more details about Democrats' forthcoming discussions, she indicated that more information would be announced tomorrow. Pelosi's remarks come amid Trump's questionable behavior and impulsive actions which have greatly impacted multiple areas of government. Story continues On Tuesday afternoon, the stock market crashed due to Trump abruptly ending stimulus negotiations. More than 30 White House officials have also tested positive for COVID-19 this week. But despite the outbreak, Trump continues to push for business as usual. Still positive, the president has returned to the White House. Related Articles While hospitalized at Walter Reed Medical Center for what is believed to have been a severe case of coronavirus, Trump made it clear there would be no transfer of power to Vice President Mike Pence. Even now, the president is reportedly still making decisions while taking medications. After Trump's announcement to end negotiations, Pelosi also expressed concern about his ability to make sound decisions while medicated. Trump insists he feels "great" now but he is still confined to the White House. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 20:35:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CHONGQING, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Yuzhou customs in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality cleared 2,419 foreign-trade containers carried by 141 trains via the land-sea freight route in August, with a year-on-year increase of 45.72 percent and 71.95 percent respectively, hitting a record high. The land-sea freight route is part of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a trade and logistics passage jointly built by western Chinese provincial regions and Singapore. In the past three years, Yuzhou customs have released nearly 2,000 cargo trains loading more than 300 varieties of goods via this route, radiating to 234 ports in 92 countries and regions, according to the customs. All the trains via this route went through the port transits in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. In order to support the recovery of the land-sea freight service, the customs of Yuzhou and the Qinzhou Port of Guangxi have cooperated to open priority clearance and inspection channels and solve clearance problems for enterprises with a 24-hour service. Enditem Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here. 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. 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. Walter McBride/WireImage(NEW YORK) -- With the COVID-19 pandemic wreacking havoc on the theater arts, Sarah Jessica Parker penned a passionate letter to Variety begging people to save the industry. The Sex and the City star opened her emotional piece about Broadway serving as a source of comfort following the attacks on 9/11, noting that she watched The Producers two days after and "the entire cast sang 'God Bless America.'" However, she notes that COVID-19 has prevented such displays of unity, adding "The current crisis New York is living through is a purgatory that is very unfamiliar, one that lingers on with a painful uncertainty." One major uncertainty is whether or not Broadway can survive, which affects countless lives who depend on the industry to make a living. "Im encouraging people to come back to New York and reinvest in our community," Parker expressed. "Whether its a theater or a small business, you cant reopen a business until you have the patrons there its a psychological thing. And I believe its incumbent upon people whove had success in this city to reinvest, to come home." The Emmy Award winner also expressed concern for the entire American theater industry, adding, "This isnt just New Yorks problem: I feel terrible about regional theaters, like the Cincinnati Playhouse, which I grew up attending." However, Broadway is a centerpiece in New York City's culture, with Parker adding, "Theater is the way we induce visitors to come to our city and plan those special afternoons and evenings," which, in turn, fuels other industries like restaurants and museums. Parker was supposed to star in Plaza Suite alongside husband Matthew Broderick last spring and says she understands "the economic and personal devastation" wrought by the pandemic, which is why she is "hopeful" Broadway can be saved. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Royal family does not want Meghan and Harry to visit UK Gigi Hadid imitates image of Russian Armenian poet in national costume (PHOTOS) Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Tata Steel Masters: Magnus Carlsen is sole leader Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Manchester United beat West Ham Hoffenheim lose to Borussia Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor Arsenal intend to extend deal of Mikel Arteta Johnny Depp returns to cinema after high-profile scandal with his ex-wife British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Why is Kanye West threatening Netflix? Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO Vaccination against COVID-19 is mandatory for footballers in Brazil First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas become parents Arnold Schwarzenegger faces accident (PHOTOS) AusOpen: Simona Halep came out in the fourth round Comedian Louis Anderson dies aged 68 Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran Barcelona want to sign Juventus defender Ansu Fati may miss 2 months because of injury France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Cristiano Ronaldo may miss home match against West Ham Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws Antonio Rudiger demands annual salary of 55 million euros from Chelsea 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 Aston Villa sign new contract with Emiliano Martinez 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 Main signs of stroke Lavrov summarizes the results of talks with Blinken Netflix announces creation of entire universe based on The Squid Game series AusOpen Rafael Nadal defeats Karen Khachanov UN agrees on definition of Holocaust denial Lavrov and Blinken talks kick off in Geneva Juventus make offer to Dusan Vlahovic 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 Why is Omicron strain so dangerous for children? 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 First film studio in space to be set up for Tom Cruise movie Armenia FM highlights need for full resumption of Karabakh peace talks Singer Robbie Williams to sell three of Banksy's works 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 Tottenham extend contract with Hugo Lloris Armenia Tourism Committee has new chairperson AusOpen Zverev moves into 4th round 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 American cult actor and rock musician Meat Loaf dies aged 75 Warships of Russia, Iran and China work out counteraction to maritime piracy Armenia first deputy minister of justice dismissed Roma congratulate Mkhitaryan Israeli defense minister tests positive for COVID-19 Karabakh conflict resumption likelihood is moderate, its impact on US interests is low, report says Liverpool set new record Lawyers for four Nigerian farmers accused Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell on Thursday of causing widespread pollution in a landmark court case filed in the Netherlands. The farmers first filed suit in 2008, demanding Shell clean up devastating oil spills in three villages in the Niger Delta, prevent further pollution and pay compensation. Two of the farmers have since died, as Shell spent years arguing that the case, backed by Dutch environment group Milieudefensie, should not be heard in the Netherlands. Judges ruled in 2015 that the suit could go ahead, and lawyers for the farmers opened their case at The Hague Appeals court on Thursday. The surviving farmers and their relatives watched via video link from Nigeria. "This has been a long-running case and you are aware of the subsequent problems as a result of the oil pollution in the Niger Delta," lawyer Channa Samkalden told the three-judge panel. "But a solution still seems a long way off," she said. Samkalden showed satellite images and played videos of three spills which occurred in the 2000s around the southeastern Nigerian villages of Goi, Oruma and Ikot Ada Udo. The images showed gushing and burning oil spills as well as villagers dragging their hands through water sources, their hands streaked with the chemical afterwards. "The land that contained our source of income had vanished," one of the original plaintiffs, Chief Fidelis Oguru, told journalists via video link ahead of the case. "I hope that the Dutch court will give us a favourable judgement," said Oguru. He blamed the loss of his eyesight on spills near Oruma, one of which dumped some 150 barrels, or 24,000 litres (6,300 US gallons), of oil in the environment around 2005, according to his lawyer. Shell has always blamed the spills on sabotage and said it has cleaned up with due care where pollution has occurred. "The law in Nigeria is clear that operators are not liable to pay compensation for the damage from sabotage spills," Igo Weli, director of Shell's Nigerian subsidiary, said in a statement. Story continues Nigeria was the world's ninth-largest oil producer in 2018, pumping out volumes valued at some $43.6 billion (37 billion euros), or 3.8 percent of total global production. In a separate case in the Netherlands, the widows of four Nigerian activists executed by the military regime in the 1990s last year accused Shell of complicity in their deaths. jhe/dk/ri 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. Guard to conduct Purple Heart Hunt on Fort Harrison The Montana National Guard will again this year be providing an opportunity for up to five Purple Heart recipients to hunt mule deer on the training area at Fort William Henry Harrison. The hunt is in accordance with regulations associated with Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Hunting District 388. Being a Purple Heart recipient is the only requirement to be eligible for this program. The available dates for the 2020 hunt will be conducted from Nov. 9-15. One hunter will be allowed each day. No party hunting will be permitted. This year hunters are not required to possess a permit to hunt from a vehicle. Reservations are on a first come basis and open on Oct. 1. Reservations can be made by phone to Fort Harrison Range Control at 406-324-3694. Hunters must follow all FWP deer hunting regulations for hunting district 388, a weapon restricted area. The only firearms that may be used are muzzleloaders, handguns with a barrel shorter than 10 inches, and shotguns. Archery is also allowed in the weapons restricted area. Volunteers sought to host at Gordon Reese Cabin Officials of the Wisdom Ranger District of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest welcome winter recreation enthusiasts to volunteer at the Gordon Reese Cabin located at the Chief Joseph Cross Country Ski area this winter. Volunteers are welcome to assist in maintaining this popular facility throughout the winter season. Each Tuesday and Friday during the ski season is set aside for volunteers to serve as Forest Service cabin hosts, helping maintain the cabin and trailhead facilities during the day and staying overnight for free. It is not necessary for volunteers to stay in the cabin through the entire day. Volunteers and their guests are encouraged to enjoy and explore the trails and surrounding winter beauty. Forest Service staff asks that volunteers occasionally return to the cabin to tend the woodstove fire, ensure snow is melting for hot water, and make the cabin clean and comfortable for visitors to use as a warming shelter during the day. General volunteer host duties include: meeting and greeting the public; answering visitor questions; shoveling paths leading to both outhouses at the cabin and the trailhead; clearing snow from the deck and doors; stocking and cleaning the cabin and both outhouses; restocking firewood from the basement to the main floor and tending the woodstove fire. Please keep in mind that COVID-19 mitigations will need to be discussed with the local district in order to protect our valued volunteers and the general public. To volunteer at the Gordon Reese Cabin, call the Wisdom Ranger District office at 406-689-3371 beginning Monday, Nov. 2, 2020 at 8 a.m. Due to the popularity of the cabin volunteer program, this will be the only phone number available for volunteers to sign-up. The Gordon Reese Cabin is available to the general public to rent from Dec. 1 through April 15. Reservations are $10 per day and can be made on-line beginning Monday, Nov. 2, 2020 at 8 a.m. at www.recreation.gov, or by calling 877- 444-6777. Cancellations are also handled through www.recreation.gov. The cabin is located approximately mile from the Chief Joseph Pass parking area/trailhead on Montana State Highway 43, 10 miles south of Sula and 25 miles west of Wisdom. For more information, contact the Wisdom Ranger District at 406-689-3243. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The construction sector in Middle East and North Africa is experiencing a severe slump this year and faces headwinds in 2021 with a slow recovery, but the pace of recovery will be uneven across countries in the region, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. The construction output growth forecast for the region for 2020 has been cut to -4.5% from the previous estimate of -2.4%, stated Globaldata in its report. This reflects signs that the Covid-19 lockdowns and other restrictions had a more severe impact on construction activity than previous expected, it added. Yasmine Ghozzi, Economist at GlobalData, said: "Spending is likely to gather some further momentum in the near-term as more parts of the regions economy reopen. However, a further weakening in the labour market and a potential drop in expat numbers - mainly in the GCC - are likely to weigh on consumer spending in the period ahead, affecting future construction plans." She cautioned that fiscal deficits and public debt levels will be substantially higher in 2021. "Public investment is likely to be moderate, which will translate into fewer prospects for private sector businesses to grow especially within sectors such as infrastructure," observed Ghozzi. "Meanwhile, increase in taxes, selected subsidy cuts and the introduction of various public sector service charges will affect households purchasing power, having a knock on effect on future commercial investments," she added. On Saudi Arabia, GlobalData has cut its forecast for construction output growth to -2.8% from an earlier estimate of -1.8%, and expects a recovery for the sector of 3.3% in 2021. "This revision reflects the extended lockdown measures that were cautiously eased in July, along with an estimated one million expatriate workers who departed in the wake of the economic shutdown, as well as the uncertainty regarding the degree to which the government will be able to offset its oil revenue losses and stabilize its debt burden in the short term," explained Ghozzi. On the UAE, GlobalData has further cut the forecast for construction output growth in the UAE to -4.8% from an earlier forecast of -2.1% in Q2 2020. The UAE is facing a deeper-than-expected economic contraction this year, with the countrys central bank projecting GDP to shrink 5.2% down from its previous 3.6% forecast, she stated. On Qatar and Kuwait, the expert said their growth rates for 2020 have been further cut to -4.5% and -9.5%, respectively, from an earlier estimate of -3.4%, -7.8%, while for Oman, GlobalData still holds its forecast at -8.1%. "The Covid-19 pandemic and plunging oil prices have taken a toll on Kuwaits economy. A deteriorating liquidity crunch and a delay in legal authorization to issue a new debt law has resulted in the countrys first ever credit rating downgrade from Moodys," she added.-TradeArabia News Service Trail is scheduled to find out in December if he'll be sentenced to death or to life in prison. Boswell also would face the possibility of the death penalty if found guilty of first-degree murder. She could become the first female sent to death row in Nebraska. The trial, which was moved from Wilber because of publicity about the case, is expected to wrap up on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Hills testified that she met someone named "Jenna" via Tinder in July 2017, several weeks before Loofe met Boswell via the same app. Hills said that it wasn't Boswell but Trail who picked her up in Lincoln for her first date. She also testified later that Trail often handled the initial Tinder and text messages with women Boswell met via the app. Later, Trail would hand the phone to Boswell when it came time to actually speak to the women on the phone. During Hills' first date, she was driven to the basement apartment in Wilber, a farm town outside of Lincoln, shared by Trail and Boswell. Hills said she already knew that Boswell had a "sugar daddy," and was told she could also if she agreed to certain rules. (Photo : (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)) KENOSHA, WI - AUGUST 26: Demonstrators march in the streets on August 26, 2020 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. As the city declared a state of emergency curfew, a fourth night of civil unrest occurred after the shooting of Jacob Blake, 29, on August 23. Video shot of the incident appears to show Blake shot multiple times in the back by Wisconsin police officers while attempting to enter the drivers side of a vehicle. The 29-year-old Blake was undergoing surgery for a severed spinal cord, shattered vertebrae and severe damage to organs, according to the family attorneys in published accounts. (Photo : (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)) LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 03: A person holds an iPhone displaying the Facebook app logo in front of a computer screen showing the facebook login page on August 3, 2016 in London, England. One of the world's largest social media conglomerate and technology companies, Facebook, is now aiming to ban 'militarized language' and prevent it from gracing the platform, especially during the US November Elections less than a month away. Facebook now seeks to prevent people from inviting others to watch polls bringing their firearms and weapons. Facebook wants a safe and weapon-free US Elections for November 3 and during the period, particularly when watching polls as votes tally-up. The company is now committing itself to protect the public and the US' political landscape when November comes, as it is a matter of national security. Social media has been the purveyor of almost everything a person could imagine. It could create events, get people's attention, and interact with whomever one wants to talk with. This makes social media a double-edged sword for those who use it with both good and evil intentions. Facebook's moderator would indeed have a hard time catching up and monitoring every person who uses this, especially during the time of the election, as it will be busy preventing political ads from airing on its platform. The Menlo Park-based social media giant will play a huge factor in the polls; that is why it has committed itself to make the platform free of bias that may lead people towards a conclusion. 'Militarized Language' will now be flagged by the social media company as inappropriate and immediately have posts regarding it to be banned. Facebook now centers itself on preventing political ads and calling to arms by certain people that invites to watch the tally and polls during the election period. ALSO READ: TV AD Attacking The Way Facebook CEO Handles Misinformation and Hate Will Air During 2020 VP Debate Facebook: No More Militarized Language and Call to Arms According to NBC News, there have been reports that militarized languages were making a social media trend. This is after Donald Trump Jr.'s call for help among the public to create an army and support the election's security. Facebook is keen to act and aims to prove itself as a safe platform after numerous controversies that the company faced right at the end of August and early September. Back then, Facebook was known to ignore the reports from people who flagged the 'Kenosha Militia' movement for an armed protest. The social media company was days late in removing the event and group itself; doing so after deaths and casualties were already put in harm's way. Now, Facebook is wary of the consequences and effects it brings to society, especially during national elections. 'Militarized Language' Ban Will Stay On Facebook executives are now speaking up regarding the 'call to arms' and military language that will have a huge presence on social media come the election period. Facebook's Vice President of Integrity, Guy Rosen, says that posts that aim to 'exert control, display power,' it will immediately be flagged and banned. The social media company will also see to it that this will be applicable for the future, not only during this time of the election. According to Monika Bickert, Facebook's VP of Content Policy, the social media platform applies the rules and adapts them as they go forward. ALSO READ: Full Details on Vice Presidential Debate 2020: How to Watch Online This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Alonzo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 15:16:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken in Arlington, Virginia, the United States, on Oct. 7, 2020 shows C-SPAN live stream of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence (R) and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris participating in their debate in the 2020 race. Pence and Harris took the stage in their sole debate for the 2020 race in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Wednesday night. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris went toe to toe in their sole debate as part of the 2020 race in Salt Lake City, Utah on Wednesday night, as both dodged questions key to the election. The opponents, both of whom tested negative earlier in the day, were seated with a distance and two plexiglass barriers between them, debating vigorously on a broad range of issues, including COVID-19, vaccines, economy, health care, climate change, trade and foreign policies, Supreme Court, and racial justice, while defending their running mates. Harris hammered U.S. President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic that has infected more than 7.5 million individuals, including himself, and killed some 211,000 in the United States. "The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country," the U.S. senator from California said. "They've had to sacrifice far too much because of the incompetence of this administration." As head of the White House coronavirus task force, Pence went on defense by alleging that the public have been given the information needed to deal with the public health crisis. "The American people have demonstrated over the last eight months -- they've been given the facts, they're willing to put the health of their families and their neighbors and people they don't even know first," the vice president said. "President Trump and I have great confidence in the American people and their ability to take that information and put it into practice." The 61-year-old former governor of Indiana and U.S. congressman told Harris to "stop playing politics with people's lives" when the Democrat called into question the administration's push for the approval of COVID-19 vaccines by the Nov. 3 election. "If Dr. Fauci, if the doctors tell us that we should take it, I'll be the first in line to take it. Absolutely," Harris said earlier, referring to Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the nation's top infectious expert. "But if Donald Trump tells us to take it, I'm not taking it." A DODGEBALL BATTLE Throughout the debate, appearing much less rancorous than Trump's first matchup with 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden late last month, both Harris and Pence dodged multiple questions. For her part, Harris, aged 55 and the first woman of color on a major party presidential ticket, evaded Pence's question about whether a Biden administration would seek to add seats to the nine-justice Supreme Court if Trump pushes through the nomination of conservative appellate judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a liberal icon. "This is a classic case of, if you can't win by the rules, you're going to change the rules," Pence said, asking Harris directly if she and Biden were "going to pack the Supreme Court to get your way?" Harris did not give a straight answer, instead arguing that the Senate, where Republicans have a majority, should not move forward with Barrett's confirmation, which would tilt the high court further to the right, before Election Day. "So, Joe and I are very clear, the American people are voting right now. And it should be their decision about who will serve on this most important body for a lifetime," she said, pointing to Supreme Court Justices' tenure. Pence, in his turn, ducked a question asked by moderator and USA Today Washington bureau chief Susan Page on whether Trump, who's trailing Biden in national polls, would accept the results of the election if he loses. "If we have a free and fair election, we know we're going to have confidence in it, and I believe in my heart that President Trump will be reelected for four more years," Pence responded. Trump has refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose the race and has repeatedly claimed that mail-in voting, which many states have expanded so as to allow people to vote safely during the pandemic, would lead to massive voter fraud, despite arguments from election pundits that there is no evidence supporting the allegation. In addition to the episodes, neither of the vice presidential candidates answered when asked if they'd had discussions about safeguards and procedures if Trump, 74, or Biden, 77, were to become incapacitated in the White House. Trump, who tweeted out several video clips of the Pence-Harris matchup, wrote that he thinks his deputy "WON BIG," while Biden, in his tweet, said that Harris had "made us all proud tonight." More Americans said the Democrat did a better job in the debate, according to a CNN Instant Poll of registered voters who watched. The presidential candidates met for their first encounter in the 2020 race in Cleveland, Ohio on Sept. 29, two days before the incumbent tested positive for COVID-19. Biden has undergone at least four tests since Trump's diagnosis with all results returning negative. Their next face-off was scheduled for Oct. 15 in Miami, Florida, Trump's home state and a key battleground in this election. Biden said Tuesday the debate should not be held if Trump, who's recuperating from COVID-19 at the White House after a three-day hospitalization, still has the virus. Trump, however, has made clear that he wants to have the next debate with Biden, despite that the White House is grappling with a coronavirus outbreak that has also infected a growing number of individuals, including first lady Melania Trump, the president's aides, allies on Capitol Hill, and journalists covering the administration. White House physician Sean Conley said Wednesday that Trump's "physical exam and vital signs, including oxygen saturation and respiratory rate, all remain stable and in normal range." "He's now been fever-free for more than 4 days, symptom-free for over 24 hours, and has not needed nor received any supplemental oxygen since initial hospitalization," Conley disclosed, adding that Trump's lab results from Monday "demonstrated detectable levels" of COVID-19 antibodies. Enditem MBC channel is currently airing the romantic drama "When I was Most Beautiful," It stars one of our favorite actors Kim Jisoo! This article lets us discover some fun facts about him and get to know him a little more. South Korean actor is famous for is excellent talent when it comes to acting, and as a matter of fact, Jisoo has already bagged the Rising Star Award not only once but twice! He is one unforgettable actor for giving us the second male lead syndrome. I don't know about you guys, but I have been looking forward to seeing him as the male lead character for quite some time, and finally, he is one now! In his ongoing drama "When I was Most Beautiful," he portrays the character of Seo Hwan, an architectural designer and a nice innocent young man who falls in love at first sight with his teacher Ye Ji (Im Soo-Hyang). Because of his romantic feelings towards Ye Ji, he finds himself in conflict with his older brother Seo Jin(Ha Seok-jin). Moving forward, there are a lot more things to know about Kim Jisoo that will surely attract you. If you're interested to know these facts about him, please continue reading below and enjoy it! He knows how to speak a few Filipino words! Kim Jisoo once visited the Philippines for his Fan Meeting, and he learned how to speak simple Filipino words. He is jolly and so cute to watch while giggling and laughing. When Jisoo giggles and laughs, we can't help but smile as well. There just something in his smile that makes people happy. Did you know that Ji Soo is a judo athlete? Yes, he is! And he used to do judo in elementary school and also joined in national competitions. He prefers dating women who are around the same age as him. But when he was asked to choose between a younger girl or an older woman, he went for the latter. Ji Soo's ideal type is someone innocent and pure. He gets attracted to a girl who looks pretty when she smiles, and he likes someone who is easy to talk to and who shares interests with him. At first glance Ji Soo may seem like a shy type of guy, but you will forget it when you see him sing and dance. He's such a cutie! He can be a villain, rookie detective, or simply a lover, he can portray any role given to him. He has very expressive eyes. Those tantalizing eyes of him that talk emotions which can capture our hearts in an instant. He can be seen in music videos too! Isn't he so amazing and hardworking? Dramas, films, guesting, music videos, and more; he is so passionate about his job. Furthermore, there will surely be more lovely, cute, and interesting facts about him, which weren't mentioned above. So if you have something to share about our favorite Jisoo, don't forget to drop your comments below! A general view shows a closed beach in Cancun as Hurricane Delta approaches in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico October 6, 2020. REUTERS/Henry Romero (Photo : Reuters Connect ) A meteor fireball lit up Mexico's sky together with the arrival of Hurricane Delta and minor earthquakes. The fireball was seen last Tuesday night in the skies over the northeastern region of Mexico. Large Fireball With Hurricane Delta and Earthquakes The fireball meteor was most clearly seen over Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and Nuevo Leon, located near the US border. It came at approximately 10:14 PM local time, as reported by the Mexican Global Atmospheric Monitoring Agency under the Institute of Geological & Atmospheric Research. It arrived along with the landfall of Hurricane Delta in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and several minor earthquakes. READ: Hurricane Delta: Hits Yucatan Peninsula, Heads to US Gulf Coast Amazing Sight Many eyewitnesses reported the occurrence, saying that the sight was amazing. Also, many doorbell cameras, web cameras, and some security cameras captured the fireball, uploading the footages of the blazing cosmic body over the Mexican sky. Many residents of the Nuevo Leon state capital Monterrey also recorded footages of the fireball lighting up the city's night sky for a while. From Meteor to Meteorite Meteors are comets or asteroids that enter our planet's atmosphere. A fireball is an unusually bright meteor. It features light streaks caused by the small pieces of its material burning up. If a meteor does not completely disintegrate upon its entry to Earth, managing to reach the ground with some material still left is called a meteorite. According to local reports, the meteorite may have fallen near the area of Tamaulipas state's capital Ciudad Victoria. Milenio, a news outlet in Mexico, issued a report that it set some bushes on fire in the region where it landed. Teams of local firefighters already responded to the fire. READ ALSO: Venice Stops Flooding and Holds Back Sea Waters with Mile-Long Barrier Network Together with Hurricane Delta The meteorite's appearance came with the landfall of Hurricane Delta in the Yucatan Peninsula region, also in Mexico. It brought winds with a speed of approximately 110 miles/hour. At the time, the NHC or US National Hurricane Center classified it as a hurricane Category 2, striking the coast between tourist spots and resorts in Playa del Carmen and Cancun. According to the NHC, the hurricane will bring with it a storm surge that may be life-threatening plus dangerous winds in parts of north Yucatan by the early hours of Wednesday morning. It may cause serious flash flooding in Yucatan's northern region up to early Thursday. Minor Earthquakes As if all these were not enough, Mexico also experienced several earthquakes last Wednesday. Among them, 14 have been measured at Richter scale magnitude 4.0 and higher. Among these, the strongest struck Oaxaca in the south, with a 4.3 magnitude classified as a light earthquake. Such quakes can easily be felt and can deliver minor damage. Delta Headed to US Territory After it passes the region of the Yucatan, the hurricane will be moving towards the north to the Gulf Coast region, growing in size with an increased likelihood of serious storm surge and dangerous winds with hurricane-force starting on Friday. This is particularly true for parts of the coast of Louisiana. Hopefully, nothing more damaging will occur in Mexico, aside from the meteor fireball, Hurricane Delta, and the relatively minor earthquakes. READ NEXT: Delta Intensification: Now a Category 4 'Major' Hurricane as It Heads for Mexico and the USA Check out more news and information on Hurricanes on Nature World News. The Chinese government must approve the list of experts to be sent to Wuhan, the epicenter of the pandemic. Approved by the UN in May, the mission was due to start in September. Chinese accused of obstructing the investigation. Geneva (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The World Health Organization (WHO) is still waiting for the green light from Beijing to send an international mission of experts to China to investigate the origin of the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking on October 5, Mike Ryan, director of the UN body's emergency program, said that the Chinese authorities have yet to approve the list of participants. Last August, two WHO officials worked with Chinese health authorities to prepare the mission. According to WHO reports in July, investigators were to have travelled to Wuhan (Hubei), considered the epicenter of the infection, a few weeks after that meeting. An independent investigation into the origin of the pandemic and the work of the UN body during the crisis was voted on at the WHO assembly last May. A resolution to this effect was supported by the 194 member states of the organization. It stipulated that the investigation should take place "as soon as possible". In many quarters China is accused of being the origin of the pandemic and its government is criticized for keeping silent about the health emergency and the human-to-human transmission of Covid-19 for weeks. US President Donald Trump maintains that Covid-19 comes from a virology laboratory in Wuhan, probably engaged in the study of bacteriological wars, a charge that China categorically denies. The Chinese government immediately thwarted the investigation, which it considers an attempt to blame it for the outbreak of the pandemic crisis. Analysts argue that the legitimacy of the international investigation will depend on the composition of the investigation team and how it is conducted. Many governments maintain that the WHO covered up Beijing's faults in the early stages of the pandemic. The director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is still the subject of strong criticism and has even been termed China's "puppet" for having submitted to and approved its silences. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Dr Lal PathLabs, one of the largest lab testing companies in India, left a huge cache of patient data on a public server for months, TechCrunch has learned. The lab testing giant, headquartered in New Delhi, serves some 70,000 patients a day, and quickly became a major player in testing patients for COVID-19 after winning approval from the Indian government. But the company was storing hundreds of large spreadsheets packed with sensitive patient data in a storage bucket, hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS), without a password, allowing anyone to access the data inside. Australia-based security expert Sami Toivonen found the exposed data and reported it to Dr Lal PathLabs in September. The company quickly shut down access to the bucket but the company did not reply, Toivonen told TechCrunch. Its not known how long the bucket was exposed. Toivonen said the exposed data amounted to millions of individual patient bookings. A redacted section of the spreadsheets containing patient data, including name, address, phone number and gender, as well as the test the patient is requesting. (Screenshot: TechCrunch) The spreadsheets appear to contain daily records of patient lab tests. Each spreadsheet contained a patient's name, address, gender, date of birth and cell number, as well as details of the test that the patient is taking, which could indicate or infer a medical diagnosis or a health condition. Some booking records contained additional remarks about the patient, such as if they had tested positive for COVID-19. Toivonen provided TechCrunch with a sample of the files from the exposed server for verification. We reached out to several patients to confirm their details found in the spreadsheet. "Once I discovered this I was blown away that another publicly listed organization had failed to secure their data, but I do believe that security is a team sport and everyone's responsibility," Toivonen told TechCrunch. "Im glad that they secured it within a few hours after I contacted them because this kind of exposure with millions of patient records could be misused in so many ways by the malicious actors." Story continues "I was also a little surprised that they didnt respond to my responsible disclosure," he said. A spokesperson for Dr Lal PathLabs said it was "investigating" the security lapse but did not answer our questions, including if the company plans to inform its patients of the exposure. Residents of Lake Charles, Louisiana, still reeling from the devastation of a powerful storm just six weeks ago, braced for another strike as Hurricane Delta gained in strength and size Thursday over the Gulf of Mexico. Its just a lot. Emotionally, I think everybodys just battered and worn down right now, Lake Charles resident Kerry Anderson told NBC affiliate KPRC2. Her home was badly damaged in late August by the powerful Category 4 Hurricane Laura. Anderson is renting a home in Baton Rouge but returned to Lake Charles to gather some belongings before the next hurricane hits, the station reported. With Lake Charles still in the midst of recovery from Laura, Anderson was struggling to come to terms with the fact that the city could be badly beaten again. I think really the word is disbelief. Like how could this be happening again?" Anderson said. Delta is expected to make landfall along the southwest Louisiana coast on Friday afternoon or evening. It will be the 10th hurricane to make landfall on the mainland U.S. this season, setting a new record. The Lake Charles area is expected to get hit with tropical-storm force winds starting at about noon Friday. On Wednesday, Calcasieu Parish, which includes the city of Lake Charles, issued a mandatory evacuation order. John Cardone, the city administrator for Lake Charles, told NBC News on Thursday that more than 95 percent of buildings in the city sustained some type of damage, ranging from being completely demolished to leaking roofs. A lot of our citizens have been traumatized by Laura, and to have to face this event just a little over 40 days after Hurricane Laura is huge, he said. What theyre predicting is Hurricane Delta is within 15-30 miles from Hurricane Laura, so its coming very close to the same location. Many residences and commercial buildings in the city still had temporary roofs, he said. Image: Hurricane Laura aftermath Lake Charles, Louisiana (Dave Creaney / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images file) That means it doesnt have to be a Category 4 hurricane to do damage, he said. Story continues The city picked up some 1.5 million cubic yards of debris after Laura, but officials remained concerned about vegetation and construction debris along roadways. It doesnt take a strong wing to start throwing that out there and creating issues for other buildings and for people, he said. The potentially dangerous debris, plus the damaged buildings were the rationale behind the evacuation order, he said. Still, he hoped to send a message of hope to local residents. I say this about the people of Lake Charles, were pretty resilient, he said. Were working as a team, were preparing for it and were going to do what we can to get Lake Charles back on track." Lake Charles resident Stephen Guillory told KPRC2 he was preparing to evacuate ahead of the hurricane. My wife is getting worried about the windows. So we were trying to put some plywood on them to keep them safe, Guillory said. Things were just starting to get back to normal when this storm was coming our way. Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso urged people on Wednesday to remain calm and heed warnings from local authorities. We have all gone through this for the last six weeks, and here we are having to possibly deal with it again, but I want everyone to take a deep breath and stay calm and relax, he said in a video posted to social media. These are very trying times. This has been one of the most challenging years in all aspects that weve ever dealt with, but it's not over. We still have challenges to overcome. All of us are committed to getting this parish back up and running like it was before the storm, he said. Gov. John Bel Edwards on Wednesday declared a state of emergency, which President Donald Trump approved. Let us not forget that southwest Louisiana is still recovering from Hurricane Laura," Edwards said at a news conference Wednesday. "There are still a lot of structures with significant damage. "Of course we dont want a hurricane to hit anywhere, but we know that the area that is least prepared and ready for a storm happens to be southwest Louisiana. Hurricane Laura destroyed over 10,000 homes across the state and brought major damage to 35,000 homes, moderate damage to 38,000 and minor damage to 58,000, Edwards said, citing assessments from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This is the reality that many homeowners are facing as we prepare for Delta, obviously not a very good situation, he said. As of Wednesday morning, 6,038 people were still sheltering in hotel rooms in the state, with another roughly 2,000 people sheltering in hotel rooms in Texas, he said. LONDON, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson is prepared to fully leave the European Union without a deal when the Brexit transition period ends, his spokesman said on Thursday, but the British leader still believes there is a deal to be done. "He thinks there is a deal to be done and we have a clear commitment to trying to reach an agreement," the spokesman said before adding two further points. "First is, time is in short supply. And secondly ... we are prepared to end the transition period on Australian-style terms if a deal can't be found" (Reporting by William James; Editing by Alistair Smout) Armenia on Thursday dismissed Argishti Kyaramyan, the head its National Security Service, the Interfax news agency reported citing a presidential decree. His firing comes amid the deadliest fighting in more than 25 years between ethnic Armenian and Azeri forces over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Search Keywords: Short link: 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. Planetary astronomer co-authors studies of asteroid as member of NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft mission, launched on Sept. 8, 2016, is the first U.S. mission designed to retrieve a pristine sample of an asteroid and return it to Earth for further study. The mission's target is Bennu, a carbon-rich near-Earth asteroid that is potentially hazardous, representing an approximately 1 in 2,700 chance of impacting the Earth late in the 22nd century. Scientists believe Bennu may contain the molecular precursors to the origin of life and the Earth's oceans, so one of the mission's main objectives is to determine Bennu's physical and chemical properties. "The spacecraft has been observing the asteroid for nearly two years now," said Joshua Emery, associate professor in NAU's Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science and a member of the OSIRIS-REx science team. "Bennu has turned out to be a fascinating small asteroid and has given us many surprises." The mission's first attempt to pick up the sample is scheduled for Oct. 20, 2020, and the spacecraft is scheduled to return the sample back to Earth on Sept. 24, 2023. In advance of the sample collection, the science team published a set of six papers in Science and Science Advances, four of which Emery co-authored, to share its scientific findings to date while building interest in the upcoming event. "We've been working for over a decade toward the upcoming sampling attempt," he said. "It's such an exciting time. The spacecraft will send back data pretty quickly to let us know if the maneuver itself was successful, and it'll be exciting to see images from the sampling event, which should be sent back within a day." The papers describe the detailed characterization of the surface using images, spectroscopy (composition) and thermal measurements. Emery summarizes each of the four papers he co-authored: Widespread carbon-bearing materials on near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu, published in Science: "OSIRIS-REx spectrometer data show absorptions ("fingerprints") of complex organic molecules and carbonate minerals on Bennu's surface. These materials do not appear to be spatially correlated to any specific geologic features or other compositions, but they are widespread across the surface. These data provide the first concrete detection of carbon-bearing materials on a near-Earth asteroid. The presence of organics on Bennu suggests that asteroids like Bennu may have brought organic molecules to Earth." Bright carbonate veins on asteroid (101955) Bennu: Implications for aqueous alteration history, published in Science: "Detailed analysis of absorption features in OSIRIS-REx spectrometer data indicate that there are carbonates on Bennu and that these carbonates are similar to those found in certain meteorites. Images of Bennu show that some of the rocks contain bright veins that may be carbonate. Carbonates, and their occurrence in large abundance, mean that fluid flow and hydrothermal deposition on Bennu's parent body would have occurred over distances of kilometers for thousands to millions of years - conditions that suggest large-scale, open-system hydrothermal alteration of carbonaceous asteroids in the early solar system." Asteroid (101955) Bennu's weak boulders and thermally anomalous equator, published in Science Advances: "By measuring and mapping the temperature of the surface of Bennu at different times of day, we can see how different rocks heat up and cool down, which enables us to determine physical properties of the surface rocks. This analysis distinguishes two boulder populations on Bennu that differ in thermal inertia (resistance to changes in temperature) and strength. Both have lower thermal inertia and inferred strength than expected for boulders and meteorites. The weaker boulder type probably would not survive atmospheric entry and thus may not be represented in the meteorite collection. Our findings imply that other NEAs likely have boulders similar to those on Bennu, rather than finer-particulate regoliths." Heterogenous mass distribution of the rubble-pile asteroid (101955) Bennu, published in Science Advances: "We measured the gravity field of Bennu in great detail using the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft trajectory and by mapping the orbits of small particles ejected from Bennu's surface. The gravity field provides insight into the interior structure of Bennu. These data show that Bennu does not have a uniform interior. Bennu's center appears to have a lower density than its average. The equatorial bulge also has a relatively low density. The lower-density equator is consistent with recent movement of material to the equator. The lower-density center suggests that Bennu used to spin much faster than its current 4.29 period 'day'." "It's been such thrill and honor to be part of the OSIRIS-REx team," Emery said. "As lead of the thermal analysis working group, it has been very exciting for me to be very involved in planning the observations the spacecraft has made in preparation for sampling and then figuring out from the data what the surfaces is like. The rocks on Bennu look strange, and we found from the thermal data that they are so weak that we could easily crush them in our hands. Still, they have existed on this asteroid for over a billion years! These rocks also contain complex organic molecules that form naturally in space, and asteroids like Bennu could have brought these organic molecules to Earth billions of years ago to seed the beginnings of life. When the sample is returned to Earth, scientists will be able to study these molecules in exquisite detail." Emery, who joined NAU in 2019, applies the techniques of astronomical reflection and emission spectroscopy and spectrophotometry of primitive and icy bodies in the near- (0.8 to 5.0 microns) and mid-infrared (5 to 50 microns) to investigate the formation and evolution of the Solar System and the distribution of organic material. The Jupiter Trojan asteroids have been a strong focus of his research, and he also regularly observes Kuiper Belt objects, icy satellites and other asteroid groups to understand the state of their surfaces as related to these topics. In addition to contributing to Solar System exploration as a science team member on the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission, he also collaborated on the upcoming Lucy Trojan asteroid flyby mission and the NEO Surveyor Mission infrared telescope mission. ### About Northern Arizona University Northern Arizona University is a higher-research institution providing exceptional educational opportunities in Arizona and beyond. NAU delivers a student-centered experience to its 31,000 students in Flagstaff, statewide and online through rigorous academic programs in a supportive, inclusive and diverse environment. Dedicated, world-renowned faculty help ensure students achieve academic excellence, experience personal growth, have meaningful research opportunities and are positioned for personal and professional success. Links to the four papers: https:/ / science. sciencemag. org/ cgi/ doi/ 10. 1126/ science. abc3522 https:/ / science. sciencemag. org/ cgi/ doi/ 10. 1126/ science. abc3557 https:/ / advances. sciencemag. org/ lookup/ doi/ 10. 1126/ sciadv. abc3699 https:/ / advances. sciencemag. org/ lookup/ doi/ 10. 1126/ sciadv. abc3350 This story has been published on: 2020-10-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 8) A vast majority of Filipinos approved of how the government has responded to the COVID-19 crisis, a Pulse Asia report said on Thursday The pollster's Ulat ng Bayan report showed 84 percent of Filipinos said the administration did a good job in its efforts to stop the spread of the virus as well as provide aid to those who needed it. The September 2020 survey revealed the favorable opinions were mirrored across the country and among all social classes. Meanwhile, 92 percent of those polled said President Rodrigo Duterte did well in preventing the spread of COVID-19, with 62 percent truly approving of his performance, and the rest (30 percent) said they somewhat approved. Pulse Asia noted, however, that the numbers were higher in Mindanao than in the rest of the country. In his regular briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said he was thankful for the people's support of the President. "Pilipinas, maraming salamat po sa binigay ninyong tiwala na naman sa ating Presidente [thank you for the support and trust you give to the President]... We are humbled and we are further inspired to serve the Filipino people in this time of pandemic and crisis," he said. The survey was conducted from Sept. 14 to 20, 2020 among 1,200 adults nationwide using face-to-face interviews. This result was released just days after the same pollster said the President's approval rating shot to 91 percent amid the pandemic. Pulse Asia also said that a staggering 97 percent of participants said they were concerned about getting sick due to the virus. "More particularly, 84% of Filipinos are very much worried while 13% are somewhat worried about contracting COVID-19," the survey said. "Across geographic areas and socio-economic classes, the prevailing sentiment on the matter is one of worry, with overwhelming majorities being very much worried about getting COVID-19." Seventy-one percent of Filipinos said they regularly washed their hands or disinfected them with alcohol/hand sanitizer. The wearing of face masks, observing physical distancing, avoiding unecessary trips outside of the home, and staying away from crowded places were also some of the measures people did to keep themselves from being infected. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 22:05:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LONDON, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- The mortality rate for COVID-19 is significantly higher than for flu and pneumonia this year in Britain, Britain's Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Thursday. The number of deaths caused by coronavirus in Britain was three times higher than that caused by pneumonia and flu combined in the first eight months of this year, according to ONS's new figures. A total of 48,168 deaths were recorded due to COVID-19, 13,619 due to pneumonia and 394 deaths due to influenza in England and Wales between January and August, said the ONS. Among all the deaths during this period, COVID-19 accounted for 12.4 percent, whereas 0.1 percent were due to flu and 3.5 percent caused by pneumonia. The ONS statistics came in sharp contrast with the perception at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic that the novel coronavirus is no more dangerous than flu. "Since 1959, which is when ONS monthly death records began, the number of deaths due to influenza and pneumonia in the first eight months of every year have been lower than the number of COVID-19 deaths seen, so far, in 2020," said Sarah Caul, head of mortality analysis at the ONS. Age-standardized and age-specific mortality rates for deaths due to COVID-19 were statistically significantly higher than mortality rates due to flu and pneumonia when compared with the five-year average and 2020 rates, according to the ONS. Another 14,162 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 544,275, according to official figures released Wednesday. The coronavirus-related deaths rose by 70 to 42,515, the latest data showed. Pressure is mounting on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to consider tougher restriction measures as the country continues to see a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases. Johnson has previously warned that Britain's fight against coronavirus pandemic may be "bumpy through to Christmas". To bring life back to normal, countries, such as Britain, China, Russia and the United States, are racing against time to develop coronavirus vaccines. The British government's Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance has said that it is possible that some vaccine could be available in small amounts later this year, but it is more likely that a vaccine will be available early next year, although that is not guaranteed. Enditem MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said on Thursday that a decision by Poland to impose a hefty fine on Gazprom for its part in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project was taken to please Washington, Interfax news agency reported. Poland on Wednesday fined the Russian gas giant more than 29 billion zlotys ($7.6 billion) for building the pipeline without Warsaw's approval. Russia's energy projects have become increasingly politicised since Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Russia accounts for around a third of natural gas supply to Europe. The criticism against the ongoing Nord Stream 2 project, which critics say will increase Europe's reliance on Russian gas, has intensified following the alleged poisoning of a prominent Kremlin critic in August. A spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry said the decision to fine Gazprom was driven by an intention to "implement the idea of setting up a gas hub for re-sale of American gas to eastern European countries", in order "to please Washington". The United States has raised its exports of seaborne liquefied natural gas to Europe in recent years. The spokeswoman also said the fine undermined European energy security, Interfax reported. Poland's government and foreign ministry were not immediately available for comment. The Polish anti-monopoly office said it rejected any attempts to discredit it. "The procedure was carried out in a meticulous and thorough manner...We operate fully independently, on the basis of the law and within the law, ensuring fair competition," the office said in a statement e-mailed to Reuters. It added that its decision to fine Gazprom "was based on evidence confirming that the entrepreneurs deliberately violated the anti-monopoly law applicable in Poland". Construction of the 1,230-kilometre Nord Stream 2 pipeline is complete barring a roughly 120 km final stretch in Danish waters. Work stopped in December after pipe-laying company Swiss-Dutch Allseas suspended operations because of U.S. sanctions targeting companies providing vessels. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Polina Ivanova in Moscow, Agnieszka Barteczko in Warsaw; Editing by Toby Chopra, Jan Harvey and Alex Richardson) TORONTO, Oct. 07, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kinross Gold Corporation (TSX:K; NYSE:KGC) will host a presentation and question and answer session on October 20, 2020 from 10:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m. ET to discuss operational details regarding the Companys recently announced three-year guidance and additional opportunities in its portfolio. The call-in numbers are as follows: Canada & US toll-free +1 (833) 968-2237; Passcode: 7245896 Outside of Canada & US +1 (825) 312-2059; Passcode: 7245896 Replay (available up to 14 days after the call): Canada & US toll-free +1 (800) 585-8367; Passcode: 7245896 Outside of Canada & US +1 (416) 621-4642; Passcode: 7245896 You may also access the conference call on a listen-only basis via webcast at our website www.kinross.com. The audio webcast will also be archived on www.kinross.com. About Kinross Gold Corporation Kinross is a Canadian-based senior gold mining company with mines and projects in the United States, Brazil, Chile, Ghana, Mauritania, and Russia. Kinross maintains listings on the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbol:K) and the New York Stock Exchange (symbol:KGC). Media Contact Louie Diaz Senior Director, Corporate Communications phone: 416-369-6469 louie.diaz@kinross.com Investor Relations Contact Tom Elliott Senior Vice-President, Investor Relations phone: 416-365-3390 tom.elliott@kinross.com Source: Kinross Gold Corp. 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. The foreign ministers of Greece and Turkey have met on the sidelines of a conference in Slovakia and agreed to set a date for the start of a new round of exploratory talks between the two, officials said Wednesday. A dispute between the two NATO allies and longtime rivals over maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean this summer led to fears of open conflict as warships from both sides faced off. Turkey's foreign ministry released a short video of Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusloglu meeting on the sidelines of the Globsec Forum in Bratislava. The atmosphere of what both sides said was a brief meeting appeared cordial and even jovial as the two, both wearing masks, bumped elbows, patted each other on the shoulder and stood at a table to talk. A Greek diplomatic official said the two agreed to set a date for the exploratory talks. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to reveal the contents of the meeting. The talks will be the 61st round of a long-running process of talks between Greece and Turkey designed to reduce tension and improve relations that are often testy between the two neighbors. At odds over a series of issues, including territorial disputes in the Aegean Sea, the two countries have come to the brink of war three times since the mid-1970s. Earlier this summer, Turkey sent a research vessel escorted by warships to prospect for energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean in an area Greece says is over its own continental shelf and where it claims exclusive economic rights. Greece mobilized its own navy fleet and put its armed forces on standby. The tension has eased in recent weeks, with NATO helping set up a deconfliction mechanism whereby the Greek and Turkish militaries can communicate to avoid an accident that could lead to war and the two sides agree to restart their exploratory talks process. Search Keywords: Short link: In February 2020, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had announced to bring a law on the lines of the Disha Act of Andhra Pradesh Mumbai: In the wake of the gruesome Hathras gang rape and murder case, Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh on Wednesday asserted that his government will get Disha Bill cleared in the next session of the state legislature. In an official statement issued by the state government, Deshmukh said that a draft of the Disha Act has been finalized and the government would incorporate more suggestions from the women and experts on the issue. A big safety cover is being prepared for mothers and sisters. Its draft has been finalised. More suggestions from mothers, sisters and experts will be incorporated into it. The government will get the Disha Bill passed during the next session of the legislature, he said. Meanwhile, women politicians from Maharashtras ruling parties met the home minister and demanded installation of CCTVs, a dedicated police force at local level and mechanics for prompt action on cybercrimes. A meeting was organized at Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai on Tuesday , which was attended by ministers of state for home Satej Patil and Shambhuraj Desai, women members of ruling parties including NCP leader and Baramati MP Supriya Sule and Shiv Sena MLC Manisha Kayande among others. Deputy Chairperson of the legislative council Neelam Gorhe also joined the meeting online. During the meeting, a presentation was given about the crimes against the women as reported in the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). According to the presentation, despite the second largest populous state in the country, Maharashtra had ranked eighth in the country in terms of crimes against women. However, in the most number of rape cases in the country, Maharashtra positioned third. The women politicians also demanded to increase the strength of female cops in the force, create awareness about laws pertaining to women and appoint the chairman of the state women commission among others demands. In February 2020, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had announced to bring a law on the lines of the Disha Act of Andhra Pradesh to expedite trials of crimes against women. Credit: University of Luxembourg An international collaboration involving researchers from the Luxembourg Center for Systems Biology (LCSB) at the University of Luxembourg established an association between inflammation and specific genetic mutations in Parkinson's patients. The study, recently published in the scientific journal Brain, highlights two biomarkers that could be used to assess Parkinson's disease state and progression. The results also suggest that targeting the immune system with anti-inflammatory medication holds the potential to influence the disease course, at least in a subset of patients. Around 15% of Parkinson's disease cases are related to a known genetic background, out of which mutations in the Parkin and PINK1 genes are among the most frequent ones. Thus, revealing cellular mechanisms which are altered by these mutations is crucial for the development of new therapeutic approaches. In this study, the researchers analyzed the blood serum of 245 participants from two independent cohorts and showed that patients carrying mutations in the Parkin or PINK1 genes have an increased level of circulating mitochondrial DNA and interleukin 6 (IL6). These results indicate that deficiency in Parkin or PINK1 proteinscaused by a mutation on the corresponding geneleads to impaired mitophagy. This dysfunction at the mitochondria level causes the release of mitochondrial DNA, thereby triggering inflammation and the elevation of interleukin 6 levels in the blood. When reaching the brain, IL6 is then thought to play a role in neurodegeneration. "Our study suggests that treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs holds the potential to alleviate the course of Parkinson's diseaseat least for patients with mutations in the Parkin or PINK1 gene," explains Prof. Anne Grunewald, head of the Molecular and Functional Neurobiology group at the LCSB and one of the two senior authors of the study. By studying the difference between patients carrying the Parkin or PINK1 mutation either on one (heterozygous) or both chromosomes, the researchers also showed that monitoring the level of systemic inflammation in the blood might be used as a biomarker for these genetic forms of Parkinson's disease. Whereas patients with mutations in both chromosomes showed elevated levels of interleukin 6 compared to heterozygous patients, the latter still displayed a significant increase compared to healthy controls. "This tells us that heterozygous mutations also constitute a strong risk factor for the onset of Parkinson's disease," explains Prof. Grunewald. "Even before the disease has broken out in these heterozygous carriers, we might be able to detect it at an early stage by monitoring IL6 in the serum." Similarly, the study showed that the level of circulating mitochondrial DNA could serve as a marker of the progression of the disease for heterozygous Parkin/PINK1 mutation carriers. Prof. Grunewald concludes: "Our findings have a high value for potential clinical applications, be it biomarkers in the patient's serum that detect the state of the disease or new therapeutic approaches targeting the innate immune response in Parkin/PINK1-associated Parkinson's disease." Explore further Scientists overturn odds to make Parkinson's discovery More information: Max Borsche et al. Mitochondrial damage-associated inflammation highlights biomarkers in PRKN/PINK1 parkinsonism, Brain (2020). Journal information: Brain Max Borsche et al. Mitochondrial damage-associated inflammation highlights biomarkers in PRKN/PINK1 parkinsonism,(2020). DOI: 10.1093/brain/awaa246 Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 18:09:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Remaining infected with COVID-19, U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office at the White House on Wednesday. He was received by the news that General Gary Thomas, the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, has contracted COVID-19, the latest example of the freewheeling transmission of the coronavirus among U.S. high-ranking officials. Thomas, the second highest-ranking officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, is "experiencing mild symptoms, but otherwise is feeling well," according to a Marine Corps press release. He was diagnosed days after attending a Pentagon meeting on Friday with the Coast Guard's vice commandant, Admiral Charles Ray, who on Tuesday tested positive for COVID-19, and members of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, who entered self-quarantine upon Ray's positive result. While exactly how Ray contracted the virus is unclear, media observed that he attended an event celebrating Gold Star families on Sept. 27, hosted by the first couple at their residence. Added to the president's list of troubles is the growing number of infections in his orbit. His top aide Stephen Miller tested positive on Tuesday, joining the growing COVID-19 cluster at the White House, as have Trump's press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and his re-election campaign manager Bill Stepien. According to an internal government memo leaked to the press Wednesday, as many as "34 White House staffers and other contacts" have tested positive for COVID-19, more than previously known. Others caught up in the White House outbreak include the president's counselor Hope Hicks, Republican Senator Thom Tillis, Mike Lee and Ron Johnson, Trump's former campaign manager Kellyanne Conway and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Vice President Mike Pence and 2020 Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris both tested negative for COVID-19 on Wednesday before they exchanged tirades in their vice president debate, in which Harris hammered Trump's handling of the pandemic. Democrats are demanding more information and transparency from the White House around details of recent events that may have led to the infection of Trump and others. "The Trump White House's opaque, secretive handling of its super-spreader event is a public health threat," Senate Minority Leader and New York Democrat Chuck Schumer tweeted. "The outbreak which hospitalized Pres. Trump and infected numerous WH staff, 3 Senators, and more has yet to be fully contained." Announcing his positive test result last week, Trump spent three days in a military hospital for treatment and returned to the White House on Monday. Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning he felt "great" and looked forward to the next presidential debate with 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in mid-October. Hours earlier, Republicans again sought to downplay COVID-19 by comparing it to a flu, which was later hidden by Twitter behind a label stating that it violated its rules "about spreading misleading and potentially harmful information" related to the virus. COVID-19 has infected more than 7.5 million individuals and killed some 211,000 in the United States. Enditem Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The global vibration monitoring market size is anticipated to reach USD 3,574.3 million by 2026 according to a new research published by Polaris Market Research. The report Vibration Monitoring Market Analysis Report By Component (Hardware, Software, Services); By Monitoring Process (Online, Portable); By End-User (Automotive, Chemical, Aerospace and Defense, Food and Beverages, Construction, Mining, Oil and Gas, Others); By Regions: Market Size & Segment Forecast, 2019 2026provides a complete analysis of present market trends and future insights. In 2018, the hardware segment accounted for the highest market share in terms of revenue. North America is expected to be the leading contributor to the global Vibration Monitoring market revenue in 2018. The increasing modernization of factory equipment, and stringent regulations regarding energy efficiency and workforce safety majorly drive the market growth. The growing adoption of IoT, cloud-based technologies, and machine learning further supports the growth of the market. The growing need to streamline operations for improving productivity and safety, while reducing maintenance time and cost would increase the adoption of vibration monitoring systems during the forecast period. Other driving factors include technological advancements, increasing adoption of smart factories, growing adoption of embedded systems, and increasing demand from emerging economies. Get sample copy of this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/vibration-monitoring-market/request-for-sample Vibration monitoring systems ensure that data is organized and decisions can be made efficiently. They collect real-time information, offer historical trends and graph data for further analysis. They generate alarms when abnormalities occur and send instant alarms to smart devices. They sense concerns such as imbalance, misalignment, bearing wear and looseness and provide predictive maintenance. North America generated the highest market share in the Vibration Monitoring industry in terms of revenue in 2018, and is expected to lead the global market throughout the forecast period. The presence of established telecom and cloud infrastructure in this region, and growing trend of IIoT has accelerated the market growth in the region. The growing demand of mobile devices, automation of manufacturing process, increasing safety concerns, and technological advancements generate numerous opportunities for the market in this region. The well-known companies profiled in the report include National Instruments Corporation, Emerson Electric Co., Bruel & Kiaer Sound & Vibration Measurement A/S, Meggitt PLC, Honeywell International Inc., Schaeffler AG, Analog Devices, Inc., SKF AB, General Electric, and Azima DLI Corporation. These companies are consistently launching new products to enhance their offerings in the Vibration Monitoring industry. With the advancement of technologies, companies are innovating and introducing new customized products to cater the growing needs of the customers. Leading companies are also acquiring other companies, and enhancing their product offerings to improve their market reach. Acquisitions enable key players to increase their market potential in terms of geographic expansion and expansion of customer base. Complete Summary with TOC Available @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/vibration-monitoring-market Polaris Market research has segmented the vibration monitoring market on the basis of component, monitoring process, end-user, and region. Component outlook (Revenue USD Millions, 2015 2026) Hardware Software Services Monitoring process outlook (Revenue USD Millions, 2015 2026) Online Portable End User outlook (Revenue USD Millions, 2015 2026) Automotive Chemical Aerospace and Defense Food and Beverages Construction Mining Oil and Gas Others Regional outlook (Revenue USD Millions, 2015 2026) North America o U.S. o Canada o Mexico Europe o Germany o UK o France o Italy Asia-Pacific o China o India o Japan Latin America o Brazil Middle East & Africa Avail discount on this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/vibration-monitoring-market/request-for-discount-pricing About Polaris Market Research Polaris Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. The company specializes in providing exceptional market intelligence and in-depth business research services for our clientele spread across different enterprises. We at Polaris are obliged to serve our diverse customer base present across the industries of healthcare, technology, semi-conductors and chemicals among various other industries present around the world. We strive to provide our customers with updated information on innovative technologies, high growth markets, emerging business environments and latest business-centric applications, thereby helping them always to make informed decisions and leverage new opportunities. Adept with a highly competent, experienced and extremely qualified team of experts comprising SMEs, analysts and consultants, we at Polaris endeavor to deliver value-added business solutions to our customers. Contact Us: Polaris Market Research Phone: 1-646-568-9980 Email: sales@polarismarketresearch.com Web: www.polarismarketresearch.com The prolonged suspension of by-elections in the country on health safety grounds by the government is permissible in a democratic society as it is supported by provisions of the Constitution, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has said. The country was supposed to hold parliamentary and local government by-elections before the end of the year to fill vacancies which have arisen, chiefly from the massive recalls of opposition parliamentarians and councillors. However, the Ministry of Health and Child Care has banned the by-elections, on grounds of the risks these posed in spreading COVID-19. ZEC chief elections officer Utoile Silaigwana, said: The prolonged suspension of by-elections owing to the prevalence of the Covid-19 pandemic is a response to public health concerns and permissible in a democratic society in terms of section 86(2)(b) of the constitution. Section 86(2) (b) of the Constitution states that: The fundamental rights and freedoms set out in this chapter must be exercised reasonably and with due regard for the rights and freedoms of other persons. The purpose of the limitation; in particular whether it is necessary in the interests of defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, regional or town planning, or the general public interest. But Silaigwana said all other electoral activities remained open. The commission would like to advise its stakeholders that its district and provincial offices will be open for all other electoral activities such as voter registration, voter education, voters roll inspection, registration transfer, preliminary delimitation issues, he said. New Ziana Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 8) Malacanang will not call for a special session of Congress anytime soon despite an apparent delay in the 2021 budget approval process, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Thursday. He said the Palace rejected suggestions for President Rodrigo Duterte to summon a special session days after House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano suspended plenary proceedings until November 16, leaving the 4.5 trillion spending plan hanging amid a power struggle for the speakership. "Mataas ang kumpiyansa ng Palasyo na may sapat pang panahon para magtapos ang deliberations kaya walang dahilan para ito ay ma-delay [The Palace is confident that there's still enough time to finish deliberations and that there's no reason for the budget to be delayed]," Roque said in a media briefing. "Meron naman pong December 14 na adjournment for Christmas ang Kongreso. Kung talagang kinakailangan, after the 14th, doon po magpapatawag ng special session [There's the December 14 adjournment of Congress for the Christmas season. If needed, we can call for a special session after the 14th]," he added. In a surprise move, Cayetano interrupted plenary debates on the budget bill and asked the chamber to approve the measure on second reading. He then said that "small committees" will process amendments to the measure, but did not say when the third and final reading vote will take place. The House earlier planned to approved the measure on third reading before taking a break on October 16. This comes in the middle of an unfolding drama between him and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco and the fate of their term-sharing deal, which was supposed to kick in this month. Both were insisting to take the prime seat. Cayetano has so far managed to stay in power and has sacked committee chairpersons who have backed his rival. Senate President Tito Sotto III has called out Cayetano for causing delay in the passage of the budget, which carries provisions sustaining funding for additional COVID-19 response and subsidies to hard-hit sectors. Other lawmakers have accused Cayetano, who was Duterte's running mate in the 2016 polls, of holding the budget hostage. READ: Cayetano, Velasco insist on marking their birthdays as Speaker in term-sharing deal However, Roque cited Supreme Court decisions which state that the Senate can proceed with its own budget talks to beat the December deadline for its passage, or else the 2020 budget may have to be reenacted. This could be a real danger for the fate coronavirus response programs, and could drill the economy deeper into recession instead of an expected lift-off. The House and Senate must pass their own versions of the spending plan and have them reconciled through a bicameral committee before it can be endorsed for Duterte's signing into law before January 1, 2021. "Hindi po dapat maging dahilan ng pag-aantala ng national budget itong nangyari sa Kamara [The national budget cannot be interrupted by recent events in the House]," Roque insisted. He then recognized a "gray area" as to whether the Senate can tackle the budget at the plenary if the House has not passed it on final reading. As a rule, the budget as well as tax measures must first be tackled by the House. The FBI revealed it intervened in an organized plan to kidnap the state leader in an effort to overthrow the government. A plot to overthrow the government centered around the kidnapping of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was stopped by the FBI. The conspiracy stopped by federal agents included multiple members of an organized group who sought to violently take over the government, The Detroit News reported. At least six people were arrested in the plan that involved in-person meetings and social media chatter, according to the FBI. Read More: Michigan official resists calls to resign over repeated use of N-word The group talked about creating a society that followed the U.S. Bill of Rights and where they could be self-sufficient, the FBI agent wrote. They discussed different ways of achieving this goal from peaceful endeavors to violent actions. At one point, several members talked about state governments they believed were violating the U.S. Constitution, including the government of Michigan and Governor Whitmer. Gretchen Whitmer speaks with a reporter after a Democrat Unity Rally at the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images) An affidavit filed in a federal court named Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris, and Brandon Caserta as the six men involved in the kidnapping conspiracy. The mens ages and hometowns were not identified. In June, Croft, Fox, and 13 others from multiple states held a meeting in Dublin, Ohio, a suburban city near Columbus, The Detroit News found. The home of Garbin, age 24, was raided by agents in Hartland Township late Wednesday. The affidavit comes during a continued investigation into the death of a Detroit man killed during a shootout with FBI agents. Read More: Up to 800,000 Michigan residents may lose unemployment benefits To recruit members, Fox reached out to an unnamed militia group based in Michigan, already being followed by the FBI. The FBI interviewed a member who revealed a plan to target and kill police officers who in-turn became a confidential source said The Detroit News. Story continues As an FBI informant, he attended the meeting and recorded the conversation in exchange for a monetary reward. The group discussed plans to establish a new society and their dissatisfaction with the current state and federal protocol. Social media activity of the men involved also revealed possible motives behind their disgruntled efforts. Fox uploaded a video to Facebook in June, where he complained about the states judicial system and COVID-19 restrictions on gyms operating in Michigan. Fox referred to Governor Whitmer as this tyrant b-, and stated, I dont know, boys, we gotta do something, THe Detroit News reported the court affidavit said. You guys link with me on our other location system, give me some ideas of what we can do. The lockdown has been a lightning rod for anti-government extremists in this country, and Gov. Whitmer has been on the forefront of their targeting, said Seamus Hughes, deputy director of George Washington Universitys Program on Extremism to the news outlet. Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today! The post Feds halt organized plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appeared first on TheGrio. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 20:34:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MACAO, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- The first week of October 2020 has recorded 139,280 visitor arrivals to China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), only accounting for 14 percent of the figure in the same period of 2019, the SAR tourism authorities said here on Thursday. Among them, there were 129,967 mainland visitors, an decrease of 83 percent year-on-year, the tourism authorities added. The tourist number is still lower than expected, but much higher than the level in previous months since the pandemic began. The long holiday has brought new hope to Macao's long-term recovery of tourism and economy. China has welcomed eight days of national holiday this year as the Mid-Autumn Festival coincided with the country's National Day holiday. During the long holiday, Macao's tourism industry had planed to attract mainland tourists by a series of activities such as a firework show and the Macao Light Festival. At Macao's tourism attractions such as the Ruins of St. Paul and the Senado Square, and shopping malls next to hotels, tourists showed up on the streets with large trolley cases and backpacks during the long holiday. Not as crowded as before, but the streets and shops were busy again. Macao's tourism sector believed that this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, falling on Oct. 1st, would leave most mainland tourists at home for family union and delay the peak of the tourist number. Another reason was that although the mainland authorities on Sept. 23 resumed the issuance of travel permit to the Macao SAR for mainland residents as tourists, the application procedure would take longer time than before and make the tourists come to Macao later than expected. In order to attract more tourists, Macao's tourism sector had given high discounts on plane tickets and hotel rooms, and e-coupons for shopping. Some five-star hotels even had a discount of as high as 70 percent. A latest industrial survey showed that Macao's retailers had 20 percent or 30 percent more revenues during the long holiday. Wong Fai, the chairman of the Travel Industry Council of Macao, was optimistic about Macao's tourism's mid-term recovery, although the recovery would take longer time. He said tour group services have not been resumed since the pandemic, the slow rise of tourist number is understandable and the market still has lots of potential. He suggested that since the mainland tourists don't need to present nucleic acid test result of COVID-19 when traveling between provinces of China, Macao can consider the same policy for low-risk areas such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, to simplify the entry procedure for tourists. The president of the General Union of Macao Residents Associations Ng Siu Lai also said the SAR government could extend the validity period of nucleic acid test result from seven days to 14 days to facilitate the entry of mainland tourists. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 22:04:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry reported on Thursday 3,522 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the nationwide infections to 394,566. The new cases included 1,479 in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, 281 in Erbil, 265 in Duhok, 247 in Sulaimaniyah, and 234 in Wasit, while the other cases were detected in the other provinces, the ministry said in a statement. The ministry also reported 79 more deaths, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 9,683 in the country. It also said that 4,031 more patients recovered in the day, bringing the total number of recoveries to 323,815. A total of 2,439,828 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease in February, with 20,576 done on during the day, according to the statement. Meanwhile, a member of the parliamentary health committee Jawad al-Musawi said in a press release that Iraq is registering between 4,000 to 5,000 daily infections with COVID-19 and sometimes more. "We are wary of a new wave of increase in infections that may happen in Iraq in the coming month," al-Musawi said. "Our greatest fear is that there will be a large increase in the number of infections that could be beyond the capability of our health system, like if the numbers increase to more than 20,000 infections then certainly this increase cannot be controlled," al-Musawi added. In such an increase of infections the Iraqi authorities may have to return to a partial or full curfew, which we do not want considering these difficult economic conditions, al-Musawi indicated. 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 A damaged boat is seen after Hurricane Delta hit, at Tortuga beach, in Cancun, in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico October 7, 2020. REUTERS/Henry Romero (Photo : Reuters Connect ) Hurricane Delta made landfall in Yucatan Peninsula early Wednesday at a maximum wind estimated at 110 miles per hour, knocking out powerlines and trees, damaging windows, and causing flooding in cities and towns. No deaths or injuries due to the storm were reported in Mexico. The hurricane hit Puerto Morelos, just south of Cancun, a prominent Mexican tourist destination. The storm downgraded from Category 4 to Category 2. Still, weather experts predict that the battery will regain its strength as it hits the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday and Thursday before reaching the Gulf Coast on the United States on Friday. READ: Meteor Fireball Lights up Mexico Sky Together With Arrival of Hurricane Delta and Minor Earthquakes No Reported Deaths, Fallen Trees, and Damage To Powerlines On Wednesday morning, a top official in Mexico, Luis Alberto Ortega Vazquez, reported that they had not received death reports from storms. Most information that they receive is knocked out powerlines and trees and damage of properties. The hurricane's aftermath showed falling palm trees, damaged hotels and establishments, 95 felled trees, and cut electricity in Cancun and Cozumel. The hurricane's impact was not as severe as anticipated, but the storm's impact affected the Yucatan Peninsula's efforts to revive the tourism industry. Mexico's tourism industry has been suffering since the coronavirus pandemic lockdown, Vazquez said. Locals and Tourists Evacuated for Safety About 39,000 people, including visitors and tourists, were evacuated, and around 2,700 were housed in emergency shelters in Quintana Roo and Yucatan. State tourism officials said that Quintana Ross had 40,000 tourists. Several hotels along the Caribbean coasts such as Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum evacuated their guests to safety. The most important thing is to take care of everyone's life so that we don't lose anybody," said Carlos Joaquin, the governor of the state of Quintana Roo. As early as 7 pm Tuesday, people were ordered off the streets. Most hotel guests in Cancun were evacuated and housed in inland shelters or 160 shelters in the city, including 400 in Cancun Convention Center. OMG: France-Italy Flood Aftermath: 12 Dead, More Missing, Corpses Washed from Cemeteries Flights were Delayed or Cancelled Earlier in the week, locals were already preparing for the arrival of the storm. Residents across Yucatan Peninsula stocked up on groceries, hardware materials, gasoline, secured boats from the water, and moved it inland. Nonessential businesses were closed, and residents living in low-lying areas were evacuated and moved inland. Roberto Citron, the head of the hotel association earlier, assured that measures were taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the shelters: the practice of social distancing, use of gel, and face masks. READ NEXT: Delta Intensification: Now a Category 4 'Major' Hurricane as It Heads for Mexico and the USA Check out more news and information on Hurricanes on Nature World News. The bear, named after an airliner, won the popular vote (via REUTERS) Many people struggle to keep the pounds off during the dark winter months, but there are some who lose up to a third of their body weight in the cold season. For them, size matters and the fatter you are, the better. Which is why a bear thought to weigh as much as nearly eight men is being celebrated in an annual battle of heavyweights in Alaska. A salmon-chomping bruin named 747, like the jetliner, has been crowned the fattest bear of the year, winning the popular vote out of 12 chubby contestants. The bear, one of more than 2,200 brown bears roaming Alaskas Katmai National Park and Preserve, was victorious after a week of online polling during the parks Fat Bear Week. Park chiefs estimate that 747 weighs in at more than 1,400 lbs (635kg) thats 100 stone, or 7.6 times the weight of an average man in the UK. Brown bears in Alaska need to eat as much as they can in summer to accumulate fat to survive, because they lose a third of their weight during hibernation when they do not eat or drink. They can grow to at least 1,000lb from feasting in the warm months. Adult males need to be large to dominate the best fishing spots and secure a mate. Female bears need to gain weight for their own survival, as well as to support the birth and growth of cubs. So Fat Bear Week celebrates the survival of the fattest, as the park service puts it. The event pits 12 bears against each other, allowing bear fans to compare photos of the animals and vote for their favourites. Bears gorge on the most easily obtainable rich foods they can find. In Katmai park, that means salmon. Voters are also asked to donate towards the protection of the park's bears. Park bosses say 747 really packed on the pounds, looking like he was fat enough to hibernate in July and yet continuing to eat until his belly seemed to drag along the ground by late September. Katmai, a 4 million-acre park sprawling over mountains, lakes, streams and coastline, has the worlds densest population of brown bears, the coastal version of grizzlies. Story continues Visitor numbers were cut by up to nine-tenths this year, and salmon were plentiful. The combination of the big salmon run and fewer people, this has really handed the river to the bears, said Naomi Doak, of the park. Read more Brown bear breaks into the Alaska Zoo, kills popular alpaca First brown bear in 150 years spotted in Spain national park Camper fire claims the life of two people in Marshall County Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-09 01:11:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JUBA, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Zainab Musa, a 40-year-old mother of three has endured the brunt of long decades of war in her town of Geinana in Western Darfur as the Sudanese government battled rebels there. She is among several Sudanese people who traveled to the South Sudanese capital, Juba to witness the historic peace deal signed on Oct. 3 between the Sudanese transitional government and 9 armed opposition groups to end decades of war. Musa who is yet to travel back to Sudan told Xinhua that she and other Sudanese are hopeful of the peace deal delivering peace and stability to their country, thus ending civilian displacements in the war-affected regions of Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan. "I have spent a lot of time in the war zone around Geneina in western Darfur, memories of this conflict still linger in my mind since 2003 when war broke out. I can still remember that I have been displaced more than three times," Musa told Xinhua on Thursday in Juba, where several sections of Sudanese people are still taking part in celebration festivities. She disclosed that the war that broke out in the Western region of Sudan in 2003, dented prospects of peace returning to the region after several rounds of failures of peace talks between the opposition and the regime of former ousted President Omar al-Bashir. "We thank God that we got peace after years of suffering in our country. We the Sudanese women are calling for support from our new government to empower women," said Musa. The Sudanese government signed final peace deal with groups under the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) that includes, SPLM-N sector led by Malik Agar, Justice Equality Movement under Jibril Ibrahim, Democratic Union party led by Eltom Hajou, El Hadi Idris's Sudan Liberation Movement and the Sudan Liberation Movement-MM under Minni Minnawi. Some of the Sudanese high-ranking officials like Mohamed Hamdan Daqlu, deputy head of the Sudan Sovereign Council are still in Juba, hoping to soon resume talks with hold-out groups like SPLM-N led by Abdel Aziz Al-Hilu. Sudanese economy is currently struggling amid skyrocketing prices of basic commodities due to depreciation of the local currency against the U.S dollar in recent months. Musa urged the government to prioritize tackling poverty in its post-conflict program. "It is time to fight to eliminate poverty, provide security and create employment for women and youth," said Musa. Ahmed Jabir, a 35-year-old Sudanese youth also expressed joy at witnessing the signing of the peace deal and also demanded the transitional government to do more to tackle the ailing economy. "The main demand now to our new government is to focus on creating opportunities that will attract investors," said Jabir. In addition, he also said there is a need for officials to focus on vocational training to skill unemployed youth in the conflict-affected regions, besides building schools and universities to accommodate those displaced by conflict. "Such skills will give youth sustainable livelihoods. With the peace deal finally signed I think it is a golden chance to put our house in order," he disclosed. Saifa Abdalla, a 32-year-old woman revealed that she experienced in the past the consequences of war and hopes for a better future after the peace deal was inked. "Many people have lost their loved ones during the war, it is time to forget the past and move together to improve the livelihoods of the citizens across the country. Now that peace is achieved, I call upon the government to extend health, education services and clean drinking water to refugees and internally displaced persons," said Abdalla. Habib Mustafa, from Nyala in South Darfur recounted that Sudanese people are full of joy in the aftermath of witnessing the signing of the peace deal. "We are very happy that peace is being celebrated in Juba. It is the right time for the Sudanese from the war-torn areas to start new lives," said Mustafa. "I can say, we want our children to go back to school, we want peace so that we can do things that can improve our lives," he added. Enditem 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 The Dream Team Stands For Justice on Behalf of Dijon Kizees Family A team of lawyers known as the Dream Team held a press conference for Dijon Kizee, who was murdered by police officers during a bike stop. The Dream Team was there standing for justice on behalf of the family of Kizee, another Black man who lost his life due to excessive brutal force of police officers, who took an oath to protect and serve. The shooting occurred on August 31, 2020. Attorney Dale Galipo stated that officers involved claimed that Kizee had a gun in his hand and posed a threat to officers. It was later confirmed there was nothing in Kizees hand before he was shot and killed. Witnesses confirmed that officers made no effort to deescalate the situation and no warnings given. Carl Douglas, of the Dream Team, claims officers fired not because they perceived a threat, but because they thought thats what they had to do to maintain integrity back in the office. Officers are riding down 109th street now taunting the residents, Douglas stated that officers exemplified a lack of humanity and poor training. He also said if Kizee were not African American, they would not have fired 15 shots in his body. There is a gang problem, but the gang wears khaki and green and patrols our neighborhood. The Dream Team is hoping that District Attorney Jackie Lacey brings officers to justice. Youve had 600 chances, Jackie Lacey, in the last eight years, to do the right thing, says Douglas. According to Douglas, the sheriffs are honoring the killing of Black men and high-fiving one another. Pathologist John Hisersdt performed an independent autopsy on the body of Kizee at the request of the family. Douglas stated Hiserdts findings show that Kizee died right away. A diagram that was passed out during the press conference showed Kizee was on the ground when the bullets were inflicted. According to the autopsy, Kizee was shot 15 times while on the ground when the wounds were inflicted. He didnt die instantly, he was on the ground in pain when the officers opened upon him, says Douglas. He continued, You can tell there were three or four shots then, a passing. According to the Dream Team, sheriffs were not assigned to handle vehicle code violations in that portion of the county where Kizee was shot. Attorney Ben Crump said Kizee posed no threat to the officers, and he was trying to get away. He was confused about why the officers body camera was off, and this is how they get away with murdering Black people. If you just watch the videos, you will see that these Black men are trying to get away from the police. While America is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, we in Black America are dealing with the 1619 pandemic, which represents the year when the first enslaved African were bought to America. Crump says for 400 years; Black people have been dealing with systemic racism and oppression, inside and outside the courtroom. ADVERTISEMENT Kizees aunt, Fletcher Fair, who is also the administrator, spoke to the press. She called out people who she feels do not care about the shooting of her nephew, Kizee. Fair angrily states, The Sheriff needs to be in prison, not on the streets with a job. They dont deserve to have a badge on them. Ive been on the streets too many years, so I know these Black boys. Galipo, reiterates that you cant shoot because you feel they are a potential threat, or because of the color of their skin, it has to be an immediate threat of death. He also encourages the judges, legislators to step up and make changes within the hiring. They mention the people who are hired are already racists. Douglas asks for any witnesses to this horrific shooting to reach out to investigator Ken Sheppard. He would love to hear from any witnesses who can come forward for justice. @attorneycrump Professional services firm, KPMG in Bahrain, is gearing up to host the first Tax Summit in the kingdom, to be held virtually. The Summit themed Reimagining Tax in the Kingdom of Bahrain, will be held between October 12 and 14, 2020 and is designed not only to provide practical business-relevant industry updates through sector break-out sessions but also recommendations on best practice approaches for efficient tax management and what to expect for Tax in Bahrain in the months to come. The summit will also include answers from the Bahrain National Bureau for Revenue (NBR) on burning questions from Taxpayers. The Summit will be an ideal platform for Tax and Finance professionals across all sectors to learn more about leveraging technology for Value-added Tax (VAT) reporting, in alignment with the National Bureau for Revenues (NBR) ongoing compliance requirements. Traditional methods of compliance including entrenched manual processes, require tax professionals to spend a tremendous amount of time on collection, compilation and validation of data and documents. Manual processes typically involve a higher rate of risk due to human error in relation to the accuracy of data and information during the reporting process. This could potentially lead to disruption in operations and significant regulatory penalties. Philippe Norre, Partner and Head of Tax and Corporate Services at KPMG in Bahrain, commented on the upcoming event and said: In the current business environment most organisations are looking to re-engineer their core processes. Business strategies for digitalisation and digital transformation are being accelerated, and the priority for automation of processes and protocols are rising. As businesses look towards considering automation of the VAT processes to help navigate through the complexities throughout their entire supply chain, they will need to consider issues pertaining to accuracy, compliance, resource optimisation and how the overall technological intervention can contribute towards their operational excellence. Mubeen Khadir, Tax and Corporate Services Partner at KPMG in Bahrain added: Data management and Tax accounting require an inevitable switch to tech-based solutions, more than ever before. Our team have coupled practical working knowledge and subject matter expertise to develop a market leading tech-based compliance and reporting solution KPMG Enara. Our IT enabled tax solution has been specifically designed to meet the needs and requirements of any business to ensure compliance with NBR, while also providing reliable end-to-end automation in the organisations processes. The Summit will host key knowledge sessions across three days facilitated by the KPMG leadership team. The Summit will also feature the Managing Partner of KPMG in Bahrain, Jamal Fakhro, and the Global Head of Indirect Tax for KPMG International, Lachlan Wolfers as guest speakers. Participation in the first virtual Tax Summit will be complimentary for all registered participants. While the sessions are focused towards Heads of Finance, Finance and Tax managers, Head of Internal Audit, CIOs, and COOs across all business sectors in Bahrain, it will also be a unique learning opportunity for aspiring Tax and Finance professionals in the Kingdom of Bahrain. -- Tradearabia News Service 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. 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. A waitress from Pennsylvania said that one customer left her a note on the receipt instead of a tip. She said that the note came after she reminded him about the pub's policy that all customers must wear a mask if they are not seated yet. No tip John Henry's Pub, the pub where the waitress works, posted the picture of the receipt on their official Facebook page. In the photo, the word "mask" was written in the line where the tips are usually written. A caption on the post reads, "When your staff politely asks a customer to wear a mask until seated, this is how they are disrespected. Totally unacceptable. 'YOU' should be ashamed of yourself!!" Kathy Kearney, the owner of the pub, told NBC News in a phone interview on October 8 that the customer, an unidentified male, came into the pub on October 4 to eat. As soon as the man got up from his table, he started walking through the establishment without wearing a mask. That was when the waitress told him he needs to wear a mask if he is not seated. Also Read: High-Speed Airborne Chase Causes Cocaine Filled Plane to Crash Leaves Two Dead Pub's Policy The policy of the pub states that all customers must wear a mask when they are not seated at their designated table. Kearney said that her staff reminds all customers about the policy. Kearney said that the approach is not offensive and aggressive. Her staff reminds the customers of the policy in a friendly manner, as the pub aims to protect all customers and staff from the contagious coronavirus. The waitress who got the receipt, Jamie Ledwith, told NBC Philadelphia that after she asked the customer to wear a mask if he was going to go around the pub, the customer dismissed her. The customer allegedly said that it was not a big deal if he stood up without a mask because he was going to sit down again. Ledwith went to the customer's table and got the receipt as soon as the man left, and that was when she saw the note on the bill. She then went on to tell her boss about what happened. Kearney said that the insensitivity of the customer and the whole incident had upset her, as the man disrespected the staff, the policy of the pub, and potentially endangered the health of the people inside the pub after he walked around without the mask. Kearney decided to post the picture of the receipt on the Facebook page of the pub. She stated in the captions that writing "mask" on the tip line of the receipt was disrespectful. She also took the opportunity to remind the customers that they are doing the best that they can to serve them while protecting the health of the staff. The Facebook post automatically went viral, and people are now criticizing the unidentified customers for not leaving a tip, not following the rules of the pub, and for leaving the message on the receipt. Some people donated money to the waitress to cover for the tip that the customer did not pay. Related Article: President Trump's COVID-19 Diagnosis Inspired Almost a Quarter More Americans to Wear Mask @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 18:46:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close COLOMBO, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's government has approved amendments to the country's labor laws intended to increase compensation for workplace injuries and deaths, local media reported here Thursday. Government spokesperson and mass media minister Keheliya Rambukwella was quoted in the Daily FT as saying that the cabinet has approved the amendments to the existing laws related to workplace compensation. "The minimum salary applicable for compensation has been increased from 2,500 LKR (14 U.S. dollars) to 10,000 LKR (54 U.S. dollars) and the maximum salary has been increased from 20,000 LKR (108 U.S. dollars) to 100,000 LKR (542 U.S. dollars)," he said. According to the proposed amendments, the compensation for workplace injuries will range between 1.2 million LKR (6,508 U.S. dollars) and 2 million LKR (10,846 U.S. dollars), while that for deaths will range between 1.14 million LKR (6,182 U.S. dollars) and 2 million LKR (10,846 U.S. dollars). Rambukwella said the proposed amendment bill is in line with the election pledge of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Enditem The Chinese Church is standing on the threshold of major persecution. China has around 115 million Protestant Christians, less than 30 million of whom attend CCP-approved churches. Background to China Chairman Maos Cultural Revolution led to the deaths of 45 million Chinese people between 1958 and 1961. Dissent within the Chinese Communist Party was suppressed, indoctrinated youths purged society of 'closet capitalists'; books were burned; intellectuals were incarcerated or killed; churches were confiscated and bulldozed; foreign missionaries were expelled or executed; Chinese pastors were murdered or condemned to decades in labour camps and coal mines. Despite severe persecution, the church remained committed to mission and God opened hearts to the Gospel. In 1989 the Tiananmen Square massacre aroused an interest in Christianity among lawyers, academics and entrepreneurs. Rapid church growth, estimated at 100 million by the turn of the century, occurred without foreign missionaries, making Christianity an indigenous movement. President Xi Jinping was elected in 2013. Xis goal is to transform China into a superpower to cement the power of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and his role as leader into perpetuity. It seems that now he is laying the foundation for a new cultural revolution. He is tightening his control, promoting Marxist solidarity as China's only defense against foreign infiltration. New administrative measures for religious groups were announced by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in December 2019. These measures are designed to eliminate all unregistered house churches, forcing them to either become part of the CCP system or go underground, risking severe penalties. They mandate that all religious activities must be registered with, guided, supervised and managed by the Religious Affairs Department under the control of the CCP. Under President Xi, repression and persecution of legal, CCP-approved churches has escalated. For the Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), it started with the removal of pastors who criticised CCP policies. Since then, interference and harassment has escalated. TSPM churches have been forced to remove crosses and Bible texts in churches and replace them with portraits of Xi and pro-CCP slogans. In mid-2019, Beijing determined that, to stem the rapid growth of Christianity, it had to reduce the number of churches. Multitudes of TSPM churches are now being closed and repurposed. Christians will have to choose between total absorption into CCP structures, or illegal, high-risk secret meetings amidst Cultural Revolution-style persecution. CCP authorities also seem to be concerned that evidence of their persecution will tarnish their image abroad. But in todays world, it is very hard to cover up all evidence of human rights abuses. In the light of human rights abuses, I think that Australia needs to rethink the lease of rich agricultural land, the Port of Darwin and other facilities to China without the knowledge or consent of the Australian people. This represents a betrayal of trust -- which is at last, being addressed. Hong Kong Hong Kong is home to 850,000 Christians (12.4 percent of the population), some 1,500 churches and 35 Bible Colleges. It has often been seen as a springboard for evangelizing in China and a vital nerve centre for Christian media. Hong Kong's loss of freedom will therefore be a massive blow to the Church in China. On 22 May China's Premier, Li Keqiang, announced that the National People's Congress would write national security legislation into Hong Kong law, bypassing - 'and thus fatally neutering' Hong Kong's Legislative Council. This effectively ends "One Country, Two Systems" agreement in Hong Kong. The amendment creates fear that Hong Kong Christians cannot go into China for mission. Hong Kong Christians have been arrested in China and accused of trumped up charges, simply because the Chinese government can. At the moment the Hong Kong government allows religious gatherings without having to obtain a permit from the police. This is one thing which could be at stake in the future. Christians in Hong Kong are also experiencing a crisis of conscience about protest. They have generally kept a low profile and not drawn attention to themselves. But it is becoming clear that issues of concern about social justice issues may force them to act and risk consequences. It seems that Christians have two choices: firstly, whether to conduct any protest or action using non-violent methods and secondly to be prepared to bear the legal consequences of breaking the law as a just response to an unjust situation. The need for prayer A heads-up: Sunday 1 November is the International Day of Prayer for the persecuted church. Im hoping there may be guidelines published about the issues that desperately need prayer around the world. But if not, my recent articles have given a lot of fuel for prayer. In the meantime, we can lift China and Hong Kong to the throne of grace. As happened after the Tiananmen Square massacre, may there be a renewed interest in Christian life and the transforming truth of His Word as people see the CCP removing crosses and otherwise repressing Christians. Many Christians in China and around the world are being forced to deny their faith to receive food, medical attention, and other necessities. In this COVID-19 era when such difficulties play into the hands of people antagonistic to the Gospel, let us ask the Lord to provide for His people and draw more people to Himself; restore freedom, truth in public policy and economic prosperity to the glory of His name. Let us ask for Gods blessing, protection and provision for every organisation supporting the 260 million persecuted Christians worldwide: for their safety and provision, for more opportunities to spread the love of Christ in this time of urgent, increased need. May He help Christians to overcome fear to rebuild everything the enemy has attempted to steal and destroy. Let us ask God to open the eyes of nations which have long disregarded the human rights violations of the CCP, intent on pursuing the economic advantages of trade relations with China. Let us also pray for organisations like the UN, WHO, the EU to adhere to the values and freedoms upon which they were founded. Let us pray in earnest that the Lion of Judah will arise in the hearts of the people of China to liberate His persecuted Church and bless their nation to the glory of His name! 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 Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-09 01:14:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BUDAPEST, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Budapest Airport is preparing for the distribution of vaccines for the novel coronavirus once it becomes available, the airport of the Hungarian capital said on Thursday. "Following the first wave of the pandemic, BUD Cargo City is now ready to receive medical shipments also during the second wave, as it had started preparations some time ago for providing all the conditions required for transportation and storage of the long-awaited vaccine, once available," Budapest Airport said in a statement, referring to its air cargo handling center. "The temperature-controlled facilities in BUD Cargo City are offering an ideal physical environment for warehousing and forwarding of vaccines and their components," the statement added. The airport said that the first meeting of the vaccine logistics working group including the representatives of the authorities, air freight operators, ground handling agents, and other logistics experts was held last week. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that Hungary will procure a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, which will be made available to all citizens who want it. Orban explained that his administration was conducting talks with the United States, Japan, China and Russia on vaccine procurement, and had also contributed to research programs funded by the European Union. As the world is in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries across the globe -- including the United Kingdom, China, Russia and the U.S. -- are racing to find a vaccine. According to the website of the World Health Organization (WHO), as of Oct. 2, there were 193 COVID-19 candidate vaccines being developed worldwide, and 42 of them were in clinical trials. Enditem Resident Representative of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Ukraine Goesta Ljungman has said that discharging the accountability of the Board of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) should follow the NBU governance framework, served the NBU and the Ukrainian economy. "Discharging the accountability of the NBU Board should follow the NBU governance framework," he said in a statement spread on Thursday in relation to the conflict around two NBU Board members. Ljungman recalled that this governance framework has been developed in consultation with IMF staff under successive IMF-supported programs. "The framework has served the NBU and the Ukrainian economy well by strengthening the confidence in the NBU as an independent and professional central bank, while improving the credibility and effectiveness of the NBU's policies," he said. The NBU Council during a meeting on October 2 reprimanded and expressed distrust in First Deputy Governor of the NBU Kateryna Rozhkova and Deputy Governor Dmytro Sologub, accusing them of violation of the NBU regulations, the NBU Employee Ethics Code, internal regulations for NBU employees, and violation of the requirements of the Labor Code of Ukraine. Tamil Nadu: Eight fishermen rescued by Myanmar Coast Guard to return to Chennai on Thursday October 08,2020 | Source: The Times of India After two and a half months of ordeal, eight Chennai fishermen, who were rescued by the Myanmar Coast Guard, will return to the city on Thursday. Fisheries director G S Sameeran told TOI that the eight fishermen would board a Vande Bharath flight from Myanmar around 5pm on Wednesday. They will reach New Delhi by 8pm. As they are returning from a foreign land, all the eight men had to undergo Covid-19 test. The results will be released within eight hours of taking the samples, he said. From New Delhi, they are expected to board a flight on Thursday afternoon and will reach Chennai around 5pm. Nine fishermen from Chennai went for deep-sea fishing on a mechanised boat on July 27. They went missing, and there had been no communication with the fishermen for weeks. In the last week of August, one of the fishermen informed the boat owner that all of them had been rescued and housed in a port town in Myanmar. One of the nine fishermen, identified as Babu, drowned while trying to help local fishermen. His body is yet to be traced. The Chennai fishermens boat sank in the sea off the Myanmar coast a week ago. 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. 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. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Russia holds consultations over organizing the possible meeting between Armenian and Russian FMs in Moscow, Official representative of the Russian MFA Maria Zakharova said in a briefing on October 8. She noted that Russia actively continues mediations efforts for an immediate cessation of fire in Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone and resumption of peace process both at the national level and in the sidelines of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairmanship. Reminding of the statement of the Presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair countries, Zakharova said, Different action plans are being developed, one of which is that our side has offered to provide the platform of Moscow for a meeting between the Foreign Ministers of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan with the participation of the Minsk Group Co-chairs. Consultations over the time for the possible meeting are underway, Zakharova said. Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan will pay an official visit to Russia on October 12. Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan (Photo : Photo by Yawar Nazir/Getty Images) An Indian health official uses a swab to collect sample from a woman to conduct tests for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), amid the spread of the disease, at Nehru Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital on July 21, 2020 in New Delhi, India. Spike of 37,148 cases and 587 deaths reported in India in the last 24 hours, taking the total toll at 1,171,356 in the country. India confirmed Covid-19 infections crossed over 1 million mark as the worlds third worst hit country grapples to deal with the impact of the global epidemic. Even as death toll due to the deadly virus mounted to 28,329 with record 587 fatalities in a last 24 hours, according to data released by the health ministry on early Friday, Indian Prime Minister Narendara Modi in a televised address said the country was ensuring one of the best recovery rates in the world in its fight against Covid-19. (Photo : Photo by Yawar Nazir/Getty Images) An Indian health official holds a testing tube after collecting a swab from people, as India remains under an unprecedented extended lockdown over the highly contagious coronavirus (COVID-19) on April 30, 2020 in New Delhi, India. India eased the lockdown restrictions by allowing neighbourhood shops and standalone shops in areas that havent been marked coronavirus hotspots to sell goods on the condition of 50 per cent staff strength and following other protective guidelines like wearing masks and maintaining social distance. With a total number of over 33,000 positive cases, the death toll due to coronavirus in India has reached 1079 as the country reels under a nationwide lockdown that was imposed on March 25 by the government. One of India's largest lab testing facility Dr. Lal PathLabs allegedly left millions of their patients' data on a public server for months. It was not confirmed until a security expert found the exposed data to an Amazon server, without any need of password. Indian patients' data gets exposed! A giant lab testing facility in India was recently caught on a major data breach. Tech Crunch first reported that Dr. Lal Pathlabs, headquartered in New Delhi, stores millions of their customer' data via a public server of Amazon Web Services host (AWS). Australia-based security expert Sami Toivonen found the data breach exposure online in September. He immediately reported it to Dr Lal PathLabs, wherein the company quickly close the access to the file. However, after this incident, Toivonen revealed that the company did not even explain how the information was breached online or how long these data was sitting on a public server, without passwords. In definition of without passwords, anyone that are not even hackers could access the data without hassle. All the patients' data were put in a large spreadsheets wherein each contains patient's name, address, gender, date of birth, and mobile number. To make it worse for the patients, the details of the test that the patient is taking, which could include the person's health issues or medications were also found in the spreadsheets. Related Article: Cheapest Coronavirus Testing Kit That Costs Less Than $30 Found in a 3rd World Country COVID-19 info also revealed Aside from the health issues of each patient of Dr. Lal PathLabs, there were also remarks in the spreadsheets that could be showing which patients were tested for Coronavirus or found positive to it. So far, the lab testing company has not yet released any statements regarding the issue. Also Read: Coronavirus Can Be Reactivated After COVID-19 Patients Survived; Second Time Can Be Fatal This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Jamie Pancho 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 20:05:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ROME, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- World food prices rose again in September, climbing to their highest levels since February as higher prices for wheat, corn, and vegetable oils offset lower prices in other areas, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported Thursday. The broad FAO World Food Price Index gained 2.1 percent, following gains of 2.0 percent, 1.2 percent, and 2.4 percent in August, July, and June, respectively. The combined gains since June were enough to nearly cancel out falling prices over the first five months of the year. FAO said the index is now at its highest level since February, and 5.0 percent above its level in September 2019. Prices for grains and cereals -- the largest component in the FAO World Food Price Index -- rose for the third consecutive month, leaping 5.1 percent compared to August levels. FAO said that extreme weather helped push wheat prices higher while corn prices rose due to production cuts in the European Union and the United States. Those gains easily canceled out a small drop in rice prices, which fell due to strong harvests in the northern hemisphere. The vegetable oil index rose by 6.0 percent, after gains of 5.9 and 7.6 percent in August and July, respectively. Higher palm oil prices were the biggest factor in the rise, FAO said. None of the other parts of the index saw prices rise, FAO said. Dairy prices were unchanged from August, as strong milk production in the European Union matched increases in demand. Meat prices fell 0.9 percent, pushed lower by China's ban on German pork after the detection of African swine fever in that country. Sugar prices, meanwhile, slipped 2.6 percent amid reports of a possible surplus in the coming months due to strong production in Brazil and India, the world's top two producers. The monthly FAO Food Price Index is based on worldwide prices for 23 food commodity categories covering prices for 73 different products compared to a baseline year. Enditem Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday accused Senator Kamala Harris of playing politics with peoples lives by saying that she would not take a vaccine for the coronavirus if it was endorsed by President Trump. During Wednesday evenings vice presidential debate in Salt Lake City, Harris said she would take a vaccine if it were approved by public health professionals including Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor for the Trump administrations coronavirus task force, but not if Trump signed off on it. If the doctors tell us that we should take it, Ill be the first in line to take it, absolutely, Harris said. But if Donald Trump tells us that we should take it, Im not taking it. Pence immediately condemned the California senators position, saying she could be endangering lives by casting doubt on the efficacy of a potential vaccine against the deadly pathogen. The fact that you continue to undermine public confidence in a vaccine, if the vaccine emerges during the Trump administration, I think is unconscionable, Pence responded. Senator, I just ask you, stop playing politics with peoples lives, the vice president said. In June, Fauci said that he is cautiously optimistic that a vaccine for the coronavirus will be available to the American public by the end of the year or early 2021. The reality is that we will have a vaccine, we believe, before the end of this year, Pence continued at the debate. And it will have the capacity to save countless American lives. And your continuous undermining of confidence in a vaccine is just unacceptable. More from National Review Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 19:43:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) on Thursday donated 900,000 COVID-19 test kits to the African Union (AU) in a major boost to the African continent's anti-COVID-19 efforts. Speaking at the COVID-19 test kits donation ceremony in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, Josep Borrell, EU High Representative, said the test kits donation is an important expression of solidarity to Africa's fight against the pandemic. The 900,000 COVID-19 test kits are the third and last batch of the 1.4 million COVID-19 test kits donated by the EU's largest economy, Germany. The kits were delivered through an EU Humanitarian Air Bridge Flight as part of the EU's global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Today's COVID-19 test kit donation is an important expression of the EU's role in the fight against the pandemic," said Borrell. "The pandemic will affect the entire global community. It's a common enemy, it's an enemy we can all defeat together with a global approach and with cross-border coordination. Solidarity and cooperation are the keywords with this battle. They are at the heart of our response in this crisis. In this crisis, nobody will be safe until everyone is safe," said Borrell. The AU Deputy Chairperson, Thomas Kwesi Quartey commended the EU for the donation of a large batch of COVID-19 test kits, essential to increase the still comparatively low continental testing capacity. "Today we received a very large consignment of COVID-19 testing materials, Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs), medical equipments, logistics from the EU, mainly from the German contribution," Quartey told Xinhua. "We're grateful for the logistical ability of our capital country Ethiopia and also of the ability of Ethiopian Airlines to distribute evenly COVID-19 test kits evenly to other countries," further said Quartey. Africa's largest airline company, Ethiopian Airlines has since early this year transported several rounds of large COVID-19 medical supplies from various entities including the Chinese government, private Chinese institutions, and various European nations to scores of countries in the African countries. Ethiopian Airlines has also transported COVID-19 medical supplies to Middle Eastern and South American destinations, playing an essential role in the global anti-COVID-19 efforts. Enditem The head of Egypts Al-Azhar Ahmed El-Tayyeb called on Thursday for Azerbaijan and Armenia to call a ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, where nearly two weeks of heavy fighting has killed hundreds of people and displaced tens of thousands. Listening to the sound of reason dictates an immediate ceasefire between the two neighboring countries of Azerbaijan and Armenia, El-Tayyeb said on his official Twitter account. We call upon all those committed to the message of world peace to make their best towards stopping armed conflict and returning to the negotiation table and peaceful solutions between these two countries, he added. Heavy fighting between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh region erupted on 27 September, killing scores of both servicemen and civilians. Nagorno-Karabakh is inside Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia, which claims the region is part of its territory from the pre-Soviet era. Al-Azhar is the most influential Islamic institution in Egypt and most of the Sunni world. Nearly 97 percent of the population in Azerbaijan are Muslims, the majority of whom are Shia. Search Keywords: Short link: 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. Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster Former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign team said on Thursday, after President Donald Trump backed out of the next debate, that Biden would do a solo town hall. ABC News is set to host the Biden town hall in Philadelphia on October 15. After the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that the next debate would be held virtually, Trump, who has COVID-19, said he wouldn't do it. After Biden's announcement, the president's campaign called for the second debate to be moved back to October 22 and for the third to be held on October 29. Biden's team shot back, saying that "Trump's erratic behavior does not allow him to rewrite the calendar." Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign team announced on Thursday that he would do a solo town hall on October 15 instead of participating in the next presidential debate. ABC News is set to host the town hall in Philadelphia, with George Stephanopoulos as the moderator. "Joe Biden was prepared to accept the CPD's proposal for a virtual Town Hall, but the President has refused, as Donald Trump clearly does not want to face questions from the voters about his failures on COVID and the economy," the Biden campaign said in a statement." As a result, Joe Biden will find an appropriate place to take questions from voters directly on October 15th, as he has done on several occasions in recent weeks." Biden's campaign expressed hope that the commission would move the town hall to October 22 so that President Donald Trump "is not able to evade accountability." "The voters should have a chance to ask questions of both candidates, directly. Every presidential candidate since 1992 has participated in such an event, and it would be a shame if Donald Trump was the first to refuse," the statement added. The Commission on Presidential Debates had announced earlier Thursday that the next debate would be virtual "to protect the health and safety of all involved." Trump, who is still being treated for COVID-19, backed out. Story continues "I'm not going to waste my time on a virtual debate. That's not what debating is all about," Trump said in an interview with Fox Business Network on Thursday morning. "You sit behind a computer and do a debate it's ridiculous." The Trump campaign said the president would instead hold a rally. The president has trailed Biden by a significant margin in national polls and in recent polling in crucial battleground states. The decision to opt out of a virtual debate denies Trump exposure to millions of voters with Election Day just weeks away. After Biden's announcement on Thursday, the president's campaign also called for the debate to be moved back to October 22 and for the third debate, originally scheduled for October 22, to be moved back a week, to October 29. In a statement, Trump's campaign manager, Bill Stepien, baselessly accused the commission of attempting to give Biden an advantage via a virtual debate. "As President Trump said, a virtual debate is a non-starter and would clearly be a gift to Biden," Stepien said. Polls found that Biden got much higher marks than Trump for his performance in the first debate, on September 29, two days before the president was diagnosed with COVID-19. Later Thursday, the Biden campaign pushed back on the Trump campaign's suggestion to reschedule both debates. "Trump's erratic behavior does not allow him to rewrite the calendar, and pick new dates of his choosing," Kate Bedingfield, Biden's deputy campaign manager, said in a statement. The campaigns' back-and-forth puts the next two debates in question with time running out before the election. This article has been updated. Read the original article on Business Insider 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 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. A man dances during a street performance by the Brazilian band Atitude Nossa as the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic are eased in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Oct. 5, 2020. Since the beginning of October, live shows are now permitted in Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) Dozens of people converged on the cobblestone streets of downtown Rio de Janeiro for its traditional Pedra do Sal samba partythe first since the pandemic beganand it seemed Brazil was returning to normal. Among those dancing Monday were Luana Jatoba and two friends, all of whom overcame COVID-19. As a nurse technician caring for coronavirus patients, she knows better than most that occupancy rates at Rio's intensive-care units have surged as the city's seven-day average number of cases reaches its highest level since June. But, she said, everyone is desperate for a respite from the gloom. "We take care of the people who are sick with COVID, but something that isn't discussed is that there's a very serious disease all over the world, which is depression," said Jatoba. "After confinement, this samba circle is really to rescue those who felt downbeat and were oppressed. It's not just the virus that kills." Brazilians, like many across the world, are burned out on quarantine. The somewhat slower pace of COVID-19's spread, combined with less media coverage after it moved beyond Brazil's two biggest cities, has helped people put the disease out of mind. But it continues to rip through Latin America's largest country, and mayorsmany of whom aren't keen to keep restrictions in place ahead of November electionsare reopening their cities. Brazilian band Atitude Nossa plays samba at a street as the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic are eased in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Oct. 5, 2020. Since the beginning of October, live shows are now permitted in Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) And experts are warning of a possible second wave. At its height, Brazil was registering more than 45,000 cases and 1,000 deaths per day. Those totals took the shape of a months-long plateau, unlike most other countries whose viral curves had defined peaks. While Brazil's figures have fallen to about 27,000 cases and 700 deaths dailysignificant improvement, clearlythey're still nothing to sneeze at. Brazil surpassed 5 million confirmed cases on Wednesday night and is verging on 150,000 dead, the second-most in the world, according to the tally from Johns Hopkins University. "People thought it unacceptable that 1,000 people were dying every day two months ago, and now they are fine with 700 people dying every day. It simply doesn't make any sense," said Pedro Hallal, an epidemiologist who coordinates the Federal University of Pelotas' testing program, by far the country's most comprehensive. "We can say the worst part of the first wave is done, and now obviously we need to continue to be monitoring to see if numbers go up again." A woman dances during a street performance by the Brazilian band Atitude Nossa as the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic are eased in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Oct. 5, 2020. Since the beginning of October, live shows are now permitted in Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) Hallal added that a second wave of infections is unlikely this year, because of how long Brazil's crest lasted, but that tens of millions remain susceptible. As such, a second wave is "very likely" in 2021, he said. The University of Miami's observatory for COVID-19 in the Americas indicates that, at Brazil's state level, the number of policies adopted to counter infection has fallen to the third-lowest in the region, behind Nicaragua, which declined to muster any meaningful response, and Uruguay, where virus incidence is among the world's lowest. The phenomenon is visible in Brazil's cities, too, as campaigning mayors allow bars, restaurants and movie theaters to reopen, encouraging people to emerge from quarantine. Brazil's statistics institute released data last week showing that the percentage of people in strict isolation or leaving home only when necessary dropped to 57% in mid-September, from 68% in early July. Women listen to a street performance by the Brazilian band Atitude Nossa as the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic are eased in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Oct. 5, 2020. Since the beginning of October, live shows are now permitted in Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) "Mayors running for reelection have no interest in imposing any kind of lockdown or restrictions," said Miguel Lago, executive director of Brazil's Institute for Health Policy Studies, which advises public health officials. Their incentive now is to roll back pandemic measures, he added. Limitations that ostensibly remain are often ignored. For example, Rio's beaches have been packed on recent weekends, despite the fact sunbathing remains prohibited. "In the Brazilian tradition, there are laws that stick and others that don't," Alvaro Costa e Silva, a columnist for Brazil's biggest newspaper, Folha de S.Paulo, wrote this week. "To maintain what today is considered mental health, filling beaches and gathering in bars became a tolerated compulsion in Rio." As shops and some offices reopen in Sao Paulo, traffic jams in South America's biggest city have started making a comeback. By mid-September, mobility across Brazil had returned to normal levels, according to the University of Miami's COVID-19 observatory, based on GPS data from Google. Brazilian band Atitude Nossa plays samba at a street as the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic are eased in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Oct. 5, 2020. Since the beginning of October, live shows are now permitted in Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) In Amazonas state, where early on the pandemic slammed the capital, Manaus, and forced cemeteries to dig mass graves, mobility was 24% above pre-pandemic levels. A fresh surge of cases prompted local authorities in late September to reinstate restrictions on commerce and gatherings, and to shut down the riverside beachfront. "I wouldn't recommend governments to relax further; there's still room for big spikes based on people moving around and not wearing masks," said Michael Touchton, a political science professor at the University of Miami, and co-founder of its observatory. "A second peak is still quite possible in Brazil." Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has downplayed the severity of COVID-19 from the start, and insisted that shutting down economies would inflict worse hardship on working-class families than the disease. He told the United Nations General Assembly last month that the virus and joblessness were problems that needed solving simultaneously, and touted emergency cash payouts that helped 65 million Brazilians through the downturn. Brazilian band Atitude Nossa plays samba at a street as the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic are eased in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Oct. 5, 2020. Since the beginning of October, live shows are now permitted in Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) But his government hasn't implemented a comprehensive national testing policy to identify cases swiftly and prevent their spread, nor shown any sign it intends to, according to Hallal. On the contrary, the Health Ministry yanked financing of his university's testing program in 133 cities after its third phase, forcing him to seek private funding for its fourth and upcoming fifth phases. Results from the most recent phase, conducted in late August, found an average 1.4% infection rate in 33,250 people, down from 3.8% in June. While the rate was just 0.8% in Rio and Sao Paulo, 23 citiesalmost all in Brazil's north and northeasthad triple that level or more. "The population is behaving like the pandemic has been controlled, which isn't true," said Margareth Dalcolmo, a respiratory medicine professor at the state-funded Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, who is also lead researcher for one of several vaccine studies in Brazil. "The official discourse, versus the pressure from business and mayors to reopen everything, leaves people confused about what recommendations to follow. That's a big challenge in Brazil." People listen to a street performance by the Brazilian band Atitude Nossa as the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic are eased in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Oct. 5, 2020. Since the beginning of October, live shows are now permitted in Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) An elderly woman holds a dog named Cristal at the "Casa de Repouso Lacos de Ouro" nursing home in Sepetiba, Brazil, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. The Golias organization brought the animals, who they rescued from abandonment, to provide a little relief from the isolation many elderly people feel, cut off from friends and family due to fear of contagion from the new coronavirus. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) An elderly person kisses a horse named Tony at the "Casa de Repouso Lacos de Ouro" nursing home in Sepetiba, Brazil, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. The Golias organization brought several animals, who they rescued from abandonment, to provide a little relief from the isolation many elderly people feel, cut off from friends and family due to fear of contagion from the new coronavirus. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) Back at the samba show in Rio, partygoers showed they still remember how to quickstep without spilling their plastic cups of beer. A couple danced cheek to cheek. The percussionists striking their drums wore masks, but few spectators followed their lead. Still, one of the event's organizers, Jeferson dos Santos, celebrated the return of the longed-for rhythm. "Today we have the first wave of samba, all the musicians are wearing their masks, all playing and respecting World Health Organization norms," dos Santos said. "We hope everything goes right, with God's will. We're in that positive vibe." Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Late last month, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that seeks to curb U.S. dependence on foreign sources of critical minerals. Chief among those foreign sources is China, which controls an overwhelming majority of the worlds rare earths mining and processing. Our dependence on one country, the Peoples Republic of China (China), for multiple critical minerals is particularly concerning, the executive order reads. The United States now imports 80 percent of its rare earth elements directly from China, with portions of the remainder indirectly sourced from China through other countries. The order calls for the U.S. to enhance its mining and processing capacity, including some minerals not identified as critical. By expanding and strengthening domestic mining and processing capacity today, we guard against the possibility of supply chain disruptions and future attempts by our adversaries or strategic competitors to harm our economy and military readiness, the order continues. Furthermore, the report calls for the Secretary of the Interior to consult with several other department heads. They will investigate the U.S.s reliance on foreign sources for critical minerals. After the investigation, the Secretary of the Interior will submit a report to the president within 60 days. The report, the order reads, will summarize the investigations conclusions and recommend executive action. Potential actions include tariffs, quotas and import restrictions against China and other non-market foreign adversaries. Lynas releases annual report Aside from the executive order, Australias Lynas Corporation, the worlds second-largest rare earths producer and the largest outside of China, recently released its annual report. As a result of a number of years of prudent capital management, Lynas entered the COVID-19 pandemic in robust financial shape, Lynas said. In March 2020, the Lynas team moved quickly to implement recommended government safety and health recommendations and industry best practices across all sites and the company continues to update protocols in line with the evolving situation. Lynas recorded an EBITDA of $59.8 million for fiscal year 2020 (ending June 30, 2020). Meanwhile, it recorded an EBITDA of $100.7 million in fiscal year 2019. The decline, Lynas said, is largely attributable to the six-week shutdown of its processing plant in Malaysia. Lynas shut down the plant as a result of the governments COVD-19 Movement Control Order. As such, Lynas noted production halted during the period and sales from inventory were limited. Furthermore, Lynas temporarily shut down its Mt. Weld operation from April 9-June 16 after the acquisition of target inventory levels of concentrate stocks. Actual metals prices and trends The Chinese yttrium price rose 0.8% month over month to $33.10 per kilogram. Meanwhile, terbium oxide fell 1.7% to $709.78 per kilogram. Neodymium oxide dropped 2.3% to $51,633.52 per metric ton. Europium oxide fell 3.9% to $30.16 per kilogram. Finally, Dysprosium oxide fell 4.9% to $247.13 per kilogram. By AG Metal Miner This week the Royal Navys complete Carrier Strike Group assembled for the first time in the North Sea. The multi-national group worked up together in preparation for the more demanding exercise Joint Warrior that begins this week The First Sea Lord has warned that China will exploit new sailing routes to the Atlantic that are being opened up as a result of melting polar ice caps. In a speech on board the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales Admiral Tony Radakin said the effects of climate change on the northern sea passage would create new maritime trade routes across the top of the world which would halve the transit time between Europe and Asia. Admiral Radakin said: When China sails its growing Navy into the Atlantic, which way will it come, the long route, or the short? He cautioned that the free movement of nations, their navies, and above all their merchant ships could be put at risk when China starts to use these routes as it would threaten this concept of free maritime movement. The world is getting more competitive, more contested, he added. We will have to play our role in that world. As the High North becomes more open and accessible its going to be more contested and competitive as well. Jeremy Quin, the Minister for Defence Procurement, added that climate change is a reality, there is a real risk that it will open up seaways and we should expect that those seaways will be used. According to a Pentagon report on the Peoples Liberation Army, released in September, Beijing has the worlds largest naval fleet with 350 ships and submarines. Defence sources warned that the increasing size of Chinas navy remained a concern as it was likely to become more active in the Atlantic which is deemed the UKs backyard. It is understood that defence chiefs fear a situation like the Strait of Hormuz could develop, which saw tensions flare in July last year after British Royal Marines helped seize an Iranian tanker near Gibraltar which was suspected of breaking EU sanctions. In retaliation a British-flagged oil tanker was seized and anchored for two months after it was accused of allegedly breaking maritime rules. Story continues Admiral Radakin also warned that the High North routes skirt the coast of that resurgent Russia. A Russia that is now more active in the Atlantic, our backyard, than it has been for over 30 years, he said. Last month the Royal Navy demonstrated to the Kremlin that it does not have freedom of the Arctic by leading a multi-national task group of warships and aircraft into the icy corridor: HMS Sutherland , USS Ross RAS (Replenishment at sea) with RFA Tidespring while operating together in Northern Waters. - HMS Sutherland In the first such operation for 20 years, Type-23 Frigate HMS Sutherland was been joined by American, Danish and Norwegian forces to demonstrate freedom of navigation above the Arctic Circle. Admiral Radakin added: We are already doing much more in the High North. We will be looking in the high High North, as we do in the Atlantic and elsewhere in the world, to join with our partners. Meanwhile he said that while space and cyber made the world more transparent, the one place left to hide remained under the sea. He said that 97 per cent of data travels on undersea cables and that our adversaries are already threatening these. He said the Government was committed to developing new capabilities to protect those cables, standing up to this threat on behalf of everyone. 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. The top court's verdict came on a plea against the anti-CAA protests which had led to blocking of a road in Shaheen Bagh last December New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that occupying public places like Shaheen Bagh for protests is not acceptable and such a space cannot be occupied "indefinitely". The top court's verdict came on a plea against the anti-CAA protests which had led to blocking of a road in Shaheen Bagh in the national capital last December. A bench headed by Justice SK Kaul held that public places cannot be occupied indefinitely like during the Shaheen Bagh protests. The bench also said that Delhi Police ought to have taken action to clear Shaheen Bagh area from the protesters. "Democracy and dissent go hand in hand," it said, adding that the authorities have to act on their own and cannot hide behind courts in dealing with such a situation. The verdict came on a plea of lawyer Amit Sahni against the blockade of a road in Shaheen Bagh area by those protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act . Saudi Arabias state oil giant Aramco doesnt fear peak oil demand as it doubles down on boosting oil production in the long term to beat its competitors, many of which are pledging significant investments in low-carbon energy. Aramco is set on increasing its production capacity, and by extension, the production capacity of the worlds top oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, to squeeze out as much oil as possible, analysts and sources in the industry told Reuters this week. In a statement to Reuters, Aramco commented: We expect oil demand growth to continue in the long term, driven by rising populations and economic growth. Fuels and petrochemicals will support demand growth ... speculation about an imminent peak in oil demand is simply not consistent with the realities of oil consumption. Analysts and oil majors have recently said that the coronavirus pandemic and the possible lasting shift of consumer behavior may have already brought peak oil demand. Globally, we may have passed peak oil demand last year, as fuel consumption may never recover from the pandemic-inflicted decline, BP said in its annual outlook last month. In all of BPs scenarios, global oil demand is set to decline within 2050. The Rapid and Net Zero scenarios assume that oil demand has already peaked, while in the Business-As-Usual (BAU) scenario, demand is expected to peak in the early 2020s, due to growing electrification and efficiency in road transportation. The rise of EVs will see oil demand for transport peaking in the mid- to late-2020s, according to BP. Related: The Geopolitical Power Of The Shale Revolution Is Fading Aramco, however, has been dismissing for years the notion of peak oil demand, especially forecasts that it could occur before 2040. At the beginning of 2020, before COVID-19 upended all forecasts, Aramcos chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan said that energy transitions take decades, even centuries to complete, and the industry should continue to think in decades. Last year, Aramcos CEO Amin Nasser rebuked all those who predict the demise of the oil industry in the near future, saying that views that the world will soon run on anything but oil are not based on logic and facts, and are formed mostly in response to pressure and hype. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. Although, when we looked at Spirax-Sarco Engineering (LON:SPX), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes. Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it? Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. To calculate this metric for Spirax-Sarco Engineering, this is the formula: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.16 = UK254m (UK1.9b - UK352m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2020). Thus, Spirax-Sarco Engineering has an ROCE of 16%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 11% generated by the Machinery industry. Check out our latest analysis for Spirax-Sarco Engineering roce In the above chart we have measured Spirax-Sarco Engineering's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Spirax-Sarco Engineering. What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Spirax-Sarco Engineering doesn't inspire confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 31%, but since then they've fallen to 16%. However it looks like Spirax-Sarco Engineering might be reinvesting for long term growth because while capital employed has increased, the company's sales haven't changed much in the last 12 months. It's worth keeping an eye on the company's earnings from here on to see if these investments do end up contributing to the bottom line. Story continues On a side note, Spirax-Sarco Engineering has done well to pay down its current liabilities to 19% of total assets. So we could link some of this to the decrease in ROCE. Effectively this means their suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of the business, which reduces some elements of risk. Since the business is basically funding more of its operations with it's own money, you could argue this has made the business less efficient at generating ROCE. The Bottom Line Bringing it all together, while we're somewhat encouraged by Spirax-Sarco Engineering's reinvestment in its own business, we're aware that returns are shrinking. Yet to long term shareholders the stock has gifted them an incredible 308% return in the last five years, so the market appears to be rosy about its future. But if the trajectory of these underlying trends continue, we think the likelihood of it being a multi-bagger from here isn't high. Like most companies, Spirax-Sarco Engineering does come with some risks, and we've found 1 warning sign that you should be aware of. For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Officials in eastern Georgia are searching for a suspect after a Black transgender woman was found shot dead in an Augusta park on Saturday. According to the Human Rights Campaign, 33-year-old Felycya Harris is the 31st transgender or gender non-conforming person to be a victim of fatal violence in 2020, which is now the deadliest year for the trans community since the advocacy group began tracking the killings in 2013. Felycya Harris / Credit: WRDW HRC says transgender people are at heightened risk for fatal violence, especially transgender women of color because of a "a toxic mix of transphobia, racism and misogyny." "With news of the death of Felycya Harris, we have hit a grim milestone: We have now matched the highest number of transgender or gender non-conforming people who were victims of fatal violence in one year -- and there are three more months left in the year," HRC President Alphonso David said in a statement. "This epidemic of violence, which is particularly impacting transgender women of color, must and can be stopped." According to the Richmond County Sheriff's office, deputies responded Saturday afternoon to Meadowbrook Park in Augusta on the report of an unresponsive person. They found Harris suffering from a gunshot wound, and she was later pronounced dead. A medical examiner has ruled the death a homicide, reports CBS affiliate WRDW. So far, no suspects have been identified in Harris' death and a motive remains unknown. It's not clear whether she was targeted because of her gender identity, or for some other reason. Though Georgia passed landmark hate crime legislation this year, removing it from a list of four states without the laws that enhance penalties for those who target victims because of protected characteristics such as race or religion, gender identity is not included in Georgia's new law. 2017 had previously seen the most violent deaths recorded in the transgender community, with 25 people killed. The Human Rights Campaign said it's possible other deaths have gone unreported. Those that are reported can be difficult to track because law enforcement and the media sometimes misgender and misidentify victims by referring to them with their names given at birth, advocates say. Story continues Harris, a beloved interior decorator and dancer, is being remembered by friends for her upbeat personality. "That laugh...the smiles. The talks. The arguments. The attitudes. Everybody is going to remember who Felycya Harris is," friend Ricola Collier told the station. "Sometimes we have no choice": Guatemalan family recounts harrowing journey across the U.S. border Biden argues U.S. economy is improving after release of April jobs report Federal civil rights charges for 4 ex-officers in George Floyd's death The Bank's board of governors has also elected Odile Renaud-Basso of France as the Banks next president for the coming four years The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has chosen Egypt as the top investment market for 2021-2025, based on the three objectives of reducing carbon emissions to promote environmental sustainability, promoting equal opportunities for women, and digital transformation. Egypt had already been the top investment market for the EBRD during the previous 2016-2020 term. The nomination came during the EBRDs 29th annual meeting, which was held virtually from London and concluded on Thursday. The Bank's board of governors has also elected Odile Renaud-Basso of France as the Banks next president for the coming four years, succeeding Sir Suma Chakrabarti, who stepped down in July after serving two full four-year terms. It also approved to raise the bank's green investments to 50 percent, up from about 40 percent recorded in 2019, as a way to address the challenges of COVID-19 and climate change. I look forward to working with all shareholders, the management and the staff in the coming months to implement the ambitious roadmap that was just agreed at the annual meeting, said Basso. On Thursday, Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat, who represented Egypt in the meeting, said that Egypt supports the new EBRD strategy for 2021-2025 with an ambitious plan to expand its climate investments and become a majority green bank by 2025. The banks investments in 2019 amounted to around 1.2 billion in 23 projects, of which 80 percent headed to the private sector, which reflects the role played by the Ministry of International Cooperation to coordinate with multiple development partners and bilateral partners to strengthen economic cooperation and support the private sector as well as civil society, said Al-Mashat. She added that investments focus on meeting the targets of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which also represent the state's development priorities, namely environmental sustainability, renewable energy, infrastructure, small and medium enterprises, as well as women's economic empowerment. Al-Mashat said that the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that international cooperation delivers impactful results for the development of Egypt, referring to the positive economic indicators for Egypt despite the impact of the pandemic, as the banks recent report revealed that it is expected to grow by 2 percent in 2020 and rise to 5 percent in 2021, making it the only economy in the region to escape a recession for this year. Overall, the EBRD has invested more than 6.5 billion in more than 116 projects in Egypt in various sectors, the most important of which are infrastructure, small and medium enterprises, and renewable energy. Al-Mashat added that reform is a continuous process, and the government of Egypt is keen on implementing structural reforms to ensure that the country accelerates its push towards sustainable growth. During 2020, EBRD has rolled out a 21 billion support package to help firms meet liquidity needs and keep vital services flowing in 38 countries. We need to preserve the progress made so far in our countries transitions. We also have to move even faster towards a more resilient and more sustainable future, as the strategy was put forward to the governors, who represent the EBRDs 71 shareholders, acting EBRD president Jurgen Rigterink said. Under the new strategy, the EBRD aims to promote equality of opportunity through access to skills and employment, finance and entrepreneurship and support for women, young people and under-served communities. It will also accelerate digital transition, unleashing the power of technology to bring about change for the better, confirming the EBRDs interest in a limited and incremental expansion of its activities to sub-Saharan Africa and Iraq during the next five-year period. The EBRDs board of governors has announced that it will consider an update on the strategy in 2022 after the 2021 annual meeting. Meanwhile, the board agreed to a request from Iraq to become a shareholder in the Bank. During the meeting, EBRD officials disclosed that the bank has been investing at unprecedented levels this year after already delivering record financing worth more than 10 billion in 2019. Furthermore, investments rose to just over 5 billion in the first six months of 2020, up from 3.7 billion in 2019 and a previous first-half record of 3.9 billion in 2016. Additionally, the Bank has complemented its increased financing with scaled-up policy support. The pipeline of future projects is also at a record high and the EBRD has the potential to increase annual financing to well above 10 billion in the five-year period to 2025, according to the bank. Search Keywords: Short link: External affairs minister S. Jaishankar met his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi for a bilateral meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday New Delhi: External affairs minister S. Jaishankar met his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi for a bilateral meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday as part of the 13th India-Japan Foreign Ministers Strategic Dialogue wherein they agreed that a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region must be premised on diversified and resilient supply chains and welcomed the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative between India, Japan, Australia and other like-minded countries. India and Japan also finalised an ambitious agreement that provides for cooperation in 5G technology, artificial intelligence and an array of other critical areas as the two strategic partners vowed to further broad-base their ties, including in the Indo-Pacific region. After a meeting between Jaishankar and his Japanese counterpart, it was announced that Japan would be the lead partner in the connectivity pillar of the Indo-Pacific Oceans' Initiative (IPOI). The IPOI is an India-backed framework aimed at making meaningful efforts to create a safe and secure maritime domain in the Indo-Pacific, a region where China has been expanding its military assertiveness, triggering global concerns. Both India and Japan have separate territorial disputes with China. "Recognising the increasing role being played by digital technologies, the two ministers highlighted the need for robust and resilient digital and cyber systems and in this context, welcomed the finalisation of the text of the cybersecurity agreement," the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said. Cooperation between India and Japan on 5G technology comes in the backdrop of growing reluctance by a significant number of countries globally to allow Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei to roll out 5G services in their territories. The US has already banned Huawei over concerns of security, and Washington has been pressuring other countries to restrict the operations of the Chinese telecom major. The 5G is the next-generation cellular technology with download speeds stated to be 10 to 100 times faster than the current 4G LTE networks. Japan said the two ministers reaffirmed the importance of implementing Japan-India cooperation in third countries such as Asean and Southwest Asian countries and making steady progress on the high-speed rail project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. In a separate statement, Japan also mentioned that the two foreign ministers exchanged opinions regarding the issue of North Korea, with Japanese foreign minister Motegi mentioning understanding and cooperation towards the early resolution of the abductions issue. The abductions issue refers to alleged abductions by North Korea of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and Japan is asking North Korea for their return. 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. 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. NOAA GOES-East Delta made landfall near Creole, Louisiana, as a Category 2 storm Friday evening. It was downgraded to a tropical storm as of 1 a.m. CDT. Forecasts warn the storm could bring up to 11 feet of storm surge and up to 15 inches of rain to parts of Louisiana and Texas including communities that are still recovering from Hurricane Laura. Delta is the 25th named storm of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, which is on track to break several weather records. Climate change is making hurricanes stronger and more destructive. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Hurricane Delta made landfall in the southern Louisiana coast around 6 p.m. CDT as a Category 2 storm as communities are still reeling from August's devastating Hurricane Laura. By 1 a.m. CDT, Delta had been downgraded to a tropical storm. At 1 a.m. CDT, the storm's maximum sustained winds were 60 mph as it moved northeast at 15 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. "At this time everyone in the storm's path really needs to be focused on sheltering in place," Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a press conference Friday afternoon. "The fact that it's weakening should not cause anyone to lose focus or to lose vigilance, because this is still a very strong storm that's going to bring significant impacts to the state of Louisiana." NOAA/NWS The storm is expected to batter the coast with hurricane-force-winds and "life-threatening" storm surge: A wall of up to 11 feet of water rushing through some parts of Louisiana, up to 4 feet of water in parts of Texas, and up to 3 feet in Mississippi and Alabama. Already, "water levels are quickly rising along the coast of Louisiana," the NHC said on Twitter after its 4 p.m. update. The agency also warned of "significant flash flooding and river flooding" through Saturday. That's because Delta is set to dump up to 10 inches of rain along the coast, with up to 15 inches possible in some parts of southwest and central Louisiana. Story continues A car moves through a flooded street as Hurricane Delta approaches, in Baker, Louisiana, October 9, 2020. Marco Bello/Reuters A hurricane warning affects the coastline from High Island, Texas, to Morgan City, Louisiana. A storm surge warning extends from High Island, Texas, to the mouth of Louisiana's Pearl River. On Thursday, President Donald Trump approved Edwards' request for an Emergency Disaster Declaration. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey also declared states of emergency ahead of Delta's arrival. Delta will be the 10th named cyclone to hit the US mainland in a single season breaking the previous record of nine landfalls in 1916. Danielle Fontenot runs to a relative's home in the rain with her son Hunter ahead of Hurricane Delta, Friday, October 9, 2020, in Louisiana. Gerald Herbert/AP Photo If Delta's landfall is especially destructive and causes at least $1 billion in damage, 2020 will have more billion-dollar weather and climate events than any year on record in the US, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "This season has been relentless," Edwards said at a Tuesday briefing. "Prepare for the worst. Pray for the best." Towns in Delta's path still haven't recovered from Hurricane Laura Jermaine Reed, 25, and Tehyanna Stevens, 21, pull their belongings past debris from Hurricane Laura as they evacuate their apartment complex ahead of Hurricane Delta in Lake Charles, Louisiana, October 8, 2020. Adrees Latif/Reuters Hurricane Laura, a Category 4 storm, killed at least 33 people and caused more than $14 billion in damage as it tore through southern Louisiana, according to a report from insurance company Aon. "We do not know what to do. There is already nothing to go back to. No houses, Nothing," Debra Bowlin, an evacuee from the city of Lake Charles, which was devastated by Laura and now falls within Delta's hurricane warning area, told WDSU on Thursday. "We cannot take another hit." Thousands of Louisianans are still unable to return to their homes after Laura's destruction. "Those structures have not yet been repaired. The electrical infrastructure there is in the process of being repaired. And we've got people who are very tired. We're still sheltering over 6,000 people from southwest Louisiana in 12 hotels, primarily in New Orleans," Edwards said in a radio interview on Thursday. "It's going to be a very challenging situation." Debris from Hurricane Laura sits near the street ahead of Hurricane Delta, Friday, October 9, 2020, in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Gerald Herbrt/AP Photo New Orleans is outside the projected landfall area, but is still bracing for tropical-storm-force winds and possible tornadoes. "The first time it tore us up, this time it would wipe us out," Peter Adams, another evacuee from Lake Charles, told WDSU. Mexico was largely spared after Delta intensified at record speed Delta first emerged as a tropical depression on Sunday evening, with wind speeds of 35 mph, and quickly grew to a Category 4 hurricane with 145-mph winds by Tuesday a process called rapid intensification. Hurricane Delta gains strength early Tuesday, October 6, 2020. CIRA/RAMMB "No other Atlantic hurricane has ever strengthened this much this quickly immediately after it formed," meteorologist Eric Holthaus said on Twitter Tuesday. "We are in a climate emergency." Sam Lillo, a meteorologist and researcher at NOAA's Physical Science Laboratory, confirmed Delta's record-breaking intensification on Tuesday, comparing it to the last 169 years of Atlantic cyclone data. Delta weakened to a Category 2 storm before making landfall near Puerto Morelos, Mexico, on Wednesday morning, striking several resort towns in the state of Quintana Roo. According to CNN, Gov. Carlos Joaquin Gonzalez said cleanup efforts had already begun, amid reports of widespread power outages in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Cozumel. Firemen remove a tree toppled by Hurricane Delta in Cancun, Mexico, early Wednesday, October 7, 2020. Victor Ruiz Garcia/AP Photo Delta then gained strength and size as it churned through the Gulf of Mexico, reaching Category 3 winds and then weakening slightly as it neared the US coast. The latest in a devastating hurricane season The US Gulf Coast has been hit hard this year. Hurricane Hanna flooded streets and caused nearly 60,000 power outages in Texas in late July. Hurricane Sally killed four and caused extensive damage in Florida and Alabama in September. So far this year, the Atlantic Ocean has produced 25 named storms in six months. That's just three fewer than in 2005, which had the greatest number of named storms in history. But 2020 is ahead of that record 2005 season by more than a month, so is likely to pass it. A street is strewn with debris and downed power lines after Hurricane Laura passed through the area on August 27, 2020 in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Joe Raedle/Getty Images The NHC exhausted its planned list of alphabetical names in mid-September, after Tropical Storm Wilfred formed in the eastern Atlantic. (Storm names go in alphabetical order but skip the letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z.) Now, it's onto the Greek alphabet with Delta, it's already four letters in. The 2005 season made it to Zeta, which is two names away. In August, NOAA predicted that 2020's hurricane season would be "extremely active," with 19 to 25 named storms the first time in the agency's recorded history the forecast has been that high. "This is one of the most active seasonal forecasts that NOAA has produced in its 22-year history of hurricane outlooks," US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a press release. "We encourage all Americans to do their part by getting prepared, remaining vigilant, and being ready to take action when necessary." NOAA predicted there'd be seven to 11 hurricanes this season, with three to six of those reaching Category 3 or higher (that's considered "major"). So far, 2020 has seen nine Atlantic hurricanes, three of them becoming major. An average season sees roughly six hurricanes, with three becoming major. But the Atlantic Ocean has been producing highly active hurricane seasons since 1995, according to NOAA. Climate change makes hurricanes more destructive Hurricane Laura decimated a neighborhood outside Lake Charles, Louisiana, when it thundered ashore as a Category 4 storm. STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images Storms are getting stronger on average as climate change causes ocean and air temperatures to climb 2019 was the second-hottest year on record, and it closed the hottest decade ever recorded. Hurricanes feed on warm water, and higher water temperatures also lead to sea-level rise, which increases the risk of flooding. Warmer air, meanwhile, holds more atmospheric water vapor, which helps tropical storms strengthen and unleash more precipitation. Overall, the chances of any tropical cyclone becoming a major hurricane are increasing: Each new decade over the last 40 years had brought an 8% increase in the chance that a storm will turn into a major hurricane. "We have a significantly building body of evidence that these storms have already changed in very substantial ways, and all of them are dangerous," James Kossin, an atmospheric scientist at NOAA, told The Washington Post. Residents look through debris after hurricane Dorian hit the Grand Bahama Island in the Bahamas, September 4, 2019. Joe Skipper/Reuters A 2013 study, meanwhile, found that for each degree the planet warmed over the previous 40 years, the proportion of Category 4 and 5 storms increased by 25% to 30%. "Almost all of the damage and mortality caused by hurricanes is done by major hurricanes," Kossin told CNN. "Increasing the likelihood of having a major hurricane will certainly increase this risk." Storms are also getting more sluggish. Over the past 70 years or so, hurricanes and tropical storms have slowed about 10% on average, according to a 2018 study. That gives a hurricane more time to do damage in a given area. Read the original article on Insider President Trump made a stunning announcement this week when he ordered the declassification of all documents related to Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and the FBI investigation into Hillary Clintons misuse of a private email server while she was secretary of state. Trumps decision was heavily influenced by a recent letter from Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to the Senate Judiciary Committee revealing that Russian intelligence believed in July 2016 that Clinton had personally authorized a scheme to smear the Republican nominee for colluding with Russia to distract from the scandal that had arisen over her private email server. Ratcliffe reported that this knowledge came from then-CIA director John Brennans notes, and that although it may have been Russian disinformation, it was taken seriously enough at the time that President Obama was briefed on it and it was referred to the FBI for an investigation. In light of the Ratcliffe letter, Trump said Enough! He is fed up with years of delays and in getting the truth out on the Russia collusion hoax. The letter, which included crucial details on the hoax that have been kept from the American people since 2017, was just the straw that broke the camels back. Specifically, the presidents decision is a rebuke of former DNI Dan Coats and current CIA director Gina Haspel. Coats turned a blind eye toward the hoax and at times even seemed to promote it. He also, like Haspel, repeatedly blocked the release of information to Congress related to it. A House Intelligence Committee source has told me that Haspel is currently blocking the release and declassification of a House Intelligence Committee report that found Brennan personally blocked the inclusion of intelligence from a January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment which stated that Russia wanted Clinton to win the 2016 presidential election. The presidents decision also suggests that he is fed up with John Durham, the federal prosecutor reviewing the FBIs Russia investigation for Attorney General William Barr. Many have argued for months that the president and senior intelligence officials should not declassify information on Russian meddling in the 2016 election because it would interfere with Durhams investigation. But Durham has been at this since April 2019 and has done a disservice to the American people by not releasing his report well ahead of the 2020 presidential election so they can factor it into how they vote this November. The presidents declassification decision reflects his belief that at this late date, Durhams report wont matter, and it is more important to get the truth of efforts by the Clinton campaign and the Obama administration to sabotage his campaign and his presidency to the public now. Story continues While I agree with the presidents decision, I also believe it comes too late. Four years of partisan rancor over Russian meddling in the 2016 election have left most Americans numb to new developments in the scandal. They dont want to hear any more about it. I also believe the president was not well served by numerous senior advisers and congressmen who counseled him to wait for the outcome of congressional investigations and Durhams inquiry. Ambassador Richard Grenell, as acting DNI, and DNI Ratcliffe took aggressive steps to declassify documents on this issue and gave the president better advice, but unfortunately this only started when these men assumed their intelligence posts in 2020. Historians and experts will be writing postmortems on the Trump presidency for decades to come. I believe it will eventually be established that the Clinton campaign and the Obama administration not only tried to sabotage the Trump campaign but interfered with the peaceful transfer of power from the Obama to Trump. I also believe these experts and historians will conclude that Trump made some significant errors in staffing top national-security positions at the ODNI, CIA, State Department, Defense Department, FBI, and NSC that he only began to correct far too late. As President Reagan once said, personnel is policy. We now know President Trump needed loyal advisers in top national-security jobs to keep partisan careerists in check, see that his policies were implemented, and insist on transparency in the Russian investigations. My hope is that Trump, if he is reelected, will build on excellent nominations such as Ratcliffes to create a government of such advisers and make U.S. national-security agencies less political and more accountable. More from National Review 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. Residents prepare and load up on sand bags at the Mid-City Library as Hurricane Delta approaches in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., October 7, 2020. REUTERS/Kathleen Flynn (Photo : Reuters Connect ) A fallen utility pole is seen after Hurricane Delta hit, in Cancun, in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico October 7, 2020. REUTERS/Henry Romero (Photo : Reuters Connect ) Hurricane Delta also left Yucatan Peninsula on Wednesday and is expected to regain its strength as a significant storm as it makes its way to the US Gulf Coast. The category two hurricane hit Puerto Morelo at estimated maximum winds of 105 mph, halfway between the tourist resorts of Cancun and Playa Del Carmen at around 6:30 am US east coast time. Residents were earlier warned that Hurricane Delta is expected to bring "life-threatening storm surge and strong winds to northeastern portions of the Yucatan peninsula." READ: Delta Intensification: Now a Category 4 'Major' Hurricane as It Heads for Mexico and the USA Heading to US Gulf Coast Similar to Hurricane Laura Hurricane Delta hit Yucatan Peninsula on Wednesday early morning causing the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents and holiday-makers to emergency shelters as it lashed out on popular tourist resorts. Meanwhile, High Island, Texas, eastward to Grand Isle, Louisiana were issued a hurricane watch as the hurricane finds its way to the US. National Hurricane Center issued a storm surge watch for High Island to the Alabama-Florida border. According to weather experts, Delta's projected path looked similar to Hurricane Laura which was a Category 4 storm that made landfall in Louisiana on August 27. The previous hurricane left 15 people dead, hundreds of thousands with no electricity for days or weeks, and damaging more than 10,000 homes in southwest Louisiana. READ ALSO: France-Italy Flood Aftermath: 12 Dead, More Missing, Corpses Washed from Cemeteries The Delta's Path to the US National Hurricane Center forecasts that Delta will make landfall along the northern US Gulf Coast on Friday. Residents of Louisiana and east Texas to Mississippi are warned to brace themselves with storm surge flooding, strong winds, and rainfall flooding. On Wednesday evening, microwave satellite imagery suggests strengthening of Delta as convection was becoming more tightly wrapped around its center. Delta is also expected to gain strength on Thursday night due to warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, and lower wind shear along its path as it heads northward towards the US Gulf Coast. The wind intensity may diminish in the Gulf Coast due to upper-level winds and colder waters. However, weather experts still warn that despite that, Delta is still a formidable hurricane at landfall in Louisiana and Upper Texas on Friday. This hurricane is expected to move inland through lower Mississippi Valley then into Ohio Valley on Saturday. States Prepare for Hurricane Delta On Tuesday, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey declared a state of emergency on their respective states to prepare for the storm and position the state for a pre-landfall disaster declaration with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Gov. Tate Reeves also declared a state of emergency in Mississippi on Wednesday. Edwards urged South Louisiana residents to monitor the weather in the coming days and heed the advice and directions of their local officials. Louisiana schools throughout the Gulf Coast region will be closed Thursday and Friday. Tourists at the Alabama Gulf Coast were ordered a mandatory evacuation. Governor Ivey warned that the storms are unpredictable and encouraged everyone to take Hurricane Delta seriously. Mississippi distributed 160,000 sandbags to low-lying counties and prepared nine shelters on standby to open if necessary. US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said that nearly 10% of manned oil rigs were also shut down in preparation for the storm. READ NEXT: Tropical Storm Delta: A Potential Tropical Storm that Maybe A Danger to US Gulf Coast this Week Check out more news and information on Hurricanes on Nature World News. THE United States cannot determine the parental rights of a minor child in the case involving estranged partners Russian-American Allen Gassen and former model Priscilla Chigariro on the grounds of the Hague Convention, the High Court has ruled. The application was brought in terms of the Child Abduction Act as read with Article 15 of The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, which is the first schedule to the Child Abduction Act (The Hague Convention). Chigariro brought the child to Zimbabwe from Russia in November last year without the consent of his partner, prompting Gassen to approach the High Court. He sought a declaratory order that the removal of the minor child from Russia and its retention in Zimbabwe was unlawful and wanted her to be sent to the US for determination of the parties respective parental rights. The child was born in Russia through surrogacy arrangement, as the mother could not carry pregnancy to the term because of medical health issues. After hearing submissions from both parties counsel, Justice Ester Muremba dismissed the application by Gassen, finding that at the time the child was removed from Russia, she had no habitual residence there and the parties never intended to have their child stay in Russia. In this regard, she ruled that Gassen claim that Chigariro breached his custody and access rights to the minor was untenable. Justice Muremba said the child could not be sent to the US when it was not the childs habitual residence before her removal to Zimbabwe. Though Gassen wanted the US to decide the parental rights of the parties over the child on the basis of the Hague Convention, Justice Muremba disagreed saying the convention would have been applicable if the child had been wrongfully removed from the US. That the USA was the intended childs habitual residence by the parties as parents of the child does not entitle the bringing of an application under the Hague Convention, she said. In order for applicant to enforce what he says the parties had agreed upon that the child be raised in the USA, the applicant ought to have used a different cause of action instead of The Hague Convention. The convention is designed to protect children from harm in cases of wrongful removal or retention by securing their prompt return to the State with which they had the strongest connection. An order granted under the convention is a return order, which is designed to restore the status quo that existed before the wrongful removal or retention of a child. In this case, the childs habitual residence immediately prior to the abduction would provide the most appropriate forum for a determination of parental rights. Justice Muremba said even if she had made a finding that Russia was the childs habitual residence at the time that she was removed from there to Zimbabwe, all she could grant was a declaratory order that her removal was wrongful. She would not be inclined to allow the consequential relief that the child be sent to the US for determination of the parental rights. Such an order would not be consistent with the purpose of the Convention, which is to restore the status quo, said Justice Muremba. In his application, Gassen argued that the parties, who are on separation, had agreed to have their children raised in the US, where their son has already settled in the American system. He argued that contrary to the parties agreement, Chigariro had wrongfully kept their daughter in Zimbabwe and registered the child in the country using fraudulent documents. On the other hand, Chigariro averred that the Russian court declared her to be the mother of the minor child. She argued that since the child was born out of wedlock, she had the full parental rights, which could only be interfered with by Gassen obtaining a court order. Chigariro denied ever entering an agreement with Gassen to relocate to the US and the claims of fraud levelled against her. Herald Abu Dhabi: United Arab Emirates (UAE) holds a world record in coronavirus testing. The UAE has become the first country in the world to have performed more corona tests than its population. Since the onset of the Corona pandemic, the UAE has conducted more than 10 million (one crore) tests, with a total population of only 9.6 million. However, China (160 million Tests) is at the forefront of the corona test in the world. After that, the US has tested 110 million corona as of October 7, while India has the third spot with 80 million tests. Russia ranks fourth with a total of 50 million Corona Tests. UAE government spokesman Dr. Omar al-Hammadi has told the media, 'The country has conducted 7,20,802 corona investigations between 30 September and 6 October. This is 8 percent more than last week. The total number of corona cases has also increased by 16 percent during this time frame. However, the rate of recovery of people has increased by 23 percent. The total number of corona infection cases in the UAE has crossed 1 lakh. Dr. Omar said that more than 73 percent of patients died this week as compared to last week. However, the UAE has the lowest death rate in the world in September. The Corona virus havoc in the United Arab Emirates has killed 436 people. Assams Lovlina Borgohain Will Travel To France For Training Mumbai Police claims fraud of TRP racket busted Assam Government decides to increase forest reserve by another 2,000 sq km Two 13-year-old suspects are in San Antonio Police custody after the shooting death of a sleeping man. According to KTSA, Rene Rodriguez Jr. was shot and killed around 7 a.m. Wednesday while he was asleep in his familys home. Investigators said he was shot at least four times and managed to get out of the bed before collapsing on the floor. Police immediately started searching for Rodriguezs 13-year-old sister and her boyfriend who were seen fleeing the home around the time of the shooting. Michelle Rodriguez, the victims mom, said her son was a great kid and didnt deserve to die like this. She added that she was very concerned for her daughter. My daughters missing, and she has a very bad boyfriend that weve been trying to keep her away from, Rodriguez said. Since the 13-year-old suspects, a boy and a girl, are minors, police did not release their identities after making the arrests. 2020 New York Daily News Visit New York Daily News at www.nydailynews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. 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. In a year when more than 200,000 Americans died because of a rampant virus; when thousands of homes, lives, and businesses were destroyed by wildfires, and when normal life nationally was shattered by wide-ranging weather catastrophes, a bad vintage in wine country might seem trivial. Although 2020 might seem to be the nadir year in Californias wine history, the reality is that what we see today is just the denouement of a horrific decade one that pessimists might suggest is just the start of a long, arduous period of recovery. It may not get any worse, but what lies ahead aint gonna be a picnic. Its hard to know where to start, there are so many sad stories affecting almost every aspect of wine industry culture, business, and lore. Loss is everywhere. From the damage and destruction to numerous wineries due to fires between 2008 and today; the virus impact on both viticulture and enology operations; the loss of wine sales in normal channels; the closure of restaurant dining, and the fires influence on wine sales, almost no one benefited. The most recent impact of wine country fires is the massive amount of smoke and ash that assaulted thousands of acres of grapevines. The conflagrations left behind a pall of smoke that ruined vast amounts of fruit that cannot be made into wine because of the fear of whats called smoke taint. This devastation first was evident a decade ago in some wines from Mendocino County that were made after the 2008 fires. Most winemakers harvested carefully, using only fruit they believed had clean aromas, unaffected by the fires. But some wines were ruined nonetheless. While the wines were fermenting and aging in barrels, many smelled fine. But as they were being bottled, some displayed smoked, burnt, ashy aromas. Most wineries either discarded the wines or dropped prices drastically. (One Pinot Noir made to sell for $35 was dropped to $7 and sold only at the winery. Winery visitors were advised in advance that some people might not sense the smoke.) After the 2008 debacle, as well as bush fires that ravaged South African (2017) and Australian (2019) vineyards, numerous industry scientists began to search for systems to remove smoked aromas. Nothing has worked perfectly. Many tactics are still being explored, mostly without success. With no sure way to treat smoke-affected grapes, many in Napa and Sonoma counties have decided to reduce their production in 2020, using only fruit harvested before the fires began. Some fruit has been left on the vine. The only good news: The 2020 harvest was earlier than normal, so roughly half of the fruit in Napa and more than 75% of the fruit in Sonoma County was already harvested before the fires began. Some of the worst-hit areas in Napa Valley were hillsides. Lost were four-decade-old Chateau Boswell, Cain Cellars and historic Burgess Cellars, which started life in the early 1940s (!) as Lee Stewards iconic Souverain of Rutherford. Sonoma County suffered its greatest losses not in wineries but in vineyards, notably in cooler areas such as Russian River Valley that specialize in Pinot Noir. A lot of precious Russian River Valley PN was lost when wineries chose not to risk making smoke-tainted wine. In many cases throughout the county, growers and wineries opted to take crop insurance settlements. Pinot Noir in the new Petaluma Gap appellation was less affected by smoke than other areas, although vines at the upper (eastern) edge of the region near Sonoma Mountain were so affected by smoke drift that one winemaker said he would forego making any wine this year. My streak of making wine every vintage will end at 30, he said. In talking with winemakers from both Napa and Sonoma, I have heard many tear-jerking as well as heartwarming stories of life this challenging vintage, some of which have nothing to do with either fires or the virus. After all the stories are told, I see mostly wrinkled brows on people who have no clue how life in wine country will be in the coming years as they try to stay in business. Some spoke of difficulties they envision because of all the bad press this vintage has gotten. It reminds me of what occurred after heavy rains deluged grapevines during the 1989 harvest. One magazine headline called the 1989 harvest The vintage from hell, thus devastating wine sales even though many of the wines turned out to be exemplary. Of all the tales I have heard this year: I still have a lot of wine that we made the last three years (2017, 2018, and 2019), so Ill work on selling that. But if I have no wine in 2020, what then? My major concern is my bank and my line of credit. One winery owner said he was being pressured to accept lower prices from his wholesaler. What theyre offering, well, I didnt get into this business to lose money. One winemaker told me, Everyone is hurting. I wouldnt be surprised if a lot of wineries are gonna be sold within the next year. One factor that could also negatively impact California wineries relates to French imports. For now, French wines face tariffs imposed by the Trump administration that make imports slightly more expensive. However, if those tariffs end, French wine imports will become even stronger competition. In the midst of all this, growers and winemakers in most wine regions in California remain wary of the inevitability of climate change issues that not only make every vintage a dicey proposition, but long-term threaten to change the styles of wines to which most Americans have become accustomed. Incremental warming, even just seemingly small changes, more rapidly increases sugar accumulation. This forces grape maturity levels out of normal ranges, with some grapes picked without sufficient on-the-vine ripening of aromatics and flavors. Several solutions to this on a short-term basis have been tried, and they seem to work with one drawback: they are more expensive to use. Which leads to smaller profit margins. A commonly used phrase for perfect vision is 20-20. As a year, however, 2020 will be remembered not for clarity but for murkiness. Wine of the Week 2019 Famille Perrin Cotes du Rhone Reserve (Blanc) ($12) Honeysuckle and notes of guava and other tropical fruits mark the attractive nose of this youthful, fresh blend of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Rousanne, and Viognier (which adds a delicate spice note). Excellent acid balance. A delightful bargain from the owners of Chateau de Beaucastel. It is widely available at $10 or less. Watch now: Repeat wildfires ruining grapes in Napa Valley Dan Berger lives in Sonoma County, where he publishes Vintage Experiences, a subscription-only wine newsletter. Write to him at winenut@gmail.com. He is also co-host of California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon on KSRO Radio, 1350 AM. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 17:08:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SUVA, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Fiji's Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama on Thursday urged stronger commitments by high-emitting countries in fighting climate change. According to a Fijian government statement, Bainimarama stressed at the United Nations virtual meeting on Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) leaders event that there is a need for countries of the world, particularly the highly-developed economies, to make firm commitments in curbing their emissions. While pointing out that such commitments, for 2030 or 2050, are not aimless targets but life-or-death deadlines, he said that stronger multisectoral approach and global commitment is crucial in accelerating the actions to address climate change. "By making a commitment -- and putting a plan in writing -- the rest of the world can count on your progress. Instead of living in fear, we can have hope for our countries' future, and the futures of our children and grand-children," he said. "So this is the message we must take to the high-emitting countries: Commit. Commit. Commit. Choose what lasting legacy you want to leave: The damage that you've done to the planet or the commitments that will help it heal," he added. Fiji has pledged an unconditional 10 percent emissions cut by 2030, or a 30 percent emissions cut dependant on international support. The island nation also included an additional target of using 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030. Enditem Many businesses have moved to cashless payment due to the pandemic. But that often disadvantages those whose only option is paying by cash. Credit: Jonas Leupe/Unsplash Rod Maxwell, a young Indigenous man from northern British Columbia, was forced to live on the streets of downtown Vancouver last March after his personal identification was stolen. Maxwell had traveled to the city to access health-care services unavailable in his rural community. After his identification was stolen, he was left with no alternative but to live on the streets of downtown. He now lives and sleeps in close proximity with other people experiencing homelessness and unable to practice effective physical distancing. He doesn't have the money to replace his personal ID. Even though family members want to purchase a transportation ticket for him, without identification he is unable to get on a bus or train. There are organizations in Vancouver that would normally help with replacing his ID, but due to COVID-19 these services have been temporarily suspended. This case sheds light on the issue of personal identification for marginalized and underserved people who are made further vulnerable because they lack forms of official identification. Ultimately he is a bureaucratic hostage. An apt metaphor for someone rendered exceedingly vulnerable and marginalized due to being without identification at a time when it is vital to have but nearly impossible to obtain. Surviving COVID-19 without ID Individuals living without personal identification are unable to access most, if not all, of the health, social and economic supports available during the current pandemic. There are many individuals living without forms of essential identification like a birth certificate, health card, social insurance number (SIN) and driver's license. Without these forms of ID it is nearly impossible to access necessary income and health supports. Government agencies like Service Ontario and Service Canada have reduced their hours in response to COVID-19 restrictions. Non-profit organizations that normally hold ID clinics, cover the costs of obtaining personal identification or provide a mailing address have been forced to reduce or altogether eliminate their services during the pandemic. To avoid creating more bureaucratic hostages in a time of crisis, policy and emergency responses must deal with the needs and circumstances of the most marginalized people in our society. Businesses and essential services have implemented physical distancing rules to limit person-to-person contact. Notably, many are asking customers to pay using debit and credit cards or e-transfers instead of cash. This comes along with increased efforts by government agencies to transition to e-banking for the distribution of income supports during the current pandemic. Discouraging the use of paper money and unnecessary face-to-face contact during the pandemic is reasonable. However, there are many people who are unable to go cashless. Such measures risk excluding individuals who are already vulnerable. Many people live without access to financial institutions for a variety of reasons including a lack of birth certificate or other forms of personal identification. In Canada, for instance, financial institutions require two pieces of personal identification to open an account: a photo ID with signature (not including a health card) and a SIN. However, a birth certificate is required to obtain the required forms of ID. To get a SIN, for example, individuals need at least a birth certificate and access to a broad range of parental information that some may not have, including primary documents (not photocopies). Without these forms of ID it is virtually impossible to obtain a bank card, effectively barring people from the cashless economy. Many individuals and families who are experiencing economic hardship during this period rely on food banks. Most food banks in Canada require personal ID for individuals to access their services. While it is difficult to know exactly how many Canadians are without ID, reputable sources conservatively estimate the number to be in the thousands. Our preliminary research suggests the numbers may be much higher in the territories and northern areas of provinces, where there is limited access to health-care resources and social services. Many people simply do not have access to those documents and information, cannot afford the added cost of a personal ID application or lack a fixed address to receive the documents, all of which means that it is nearly impossible to obtain personal identification now that they need it most. A lack of ID and the systemic barriers that make it difficult to acquire identification operate within a structure of existing social and economic inequalities in our society. Policies should not be implemented if they render people bureaucratic hostages and make it almost impossible for those who most need assistance to get help. Modest interventions can make a big difference Relatively straightforward bureaucratic fixes can have a meaningful impact. Governments should reduce or eliminate fees associated with birth certificate applications. Our research finds that even birth certificate applications fees as low as $25 still present a major barrier for many low-income individuals. Why not waive fees altogether? Providing people with birth certificates should not be a fee-driven service as this unintentionally imposes yet another obstacle to possessing ID for many people, particularly low-income people. Governments should also reduce bureaucratic requirements for obtaining a birth certificate especially during crisis periods. Some requirements for birth certificate applicantslike mother's maiden name at time of birth or physical signaturesalso present major barriers, particularly for people with deceased or estranged parents. In light of COVID-19, agencies like the Canada Revenue Agency are enacting alternatives to physical signatures in order to accommodate Canadians during this challenging time. The same must be done to help people attain vital documents at a time when having access to personal identification is more important than ever. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 23:53:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa met with visiting U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad in Rawalpindi on Thursday and discussed the Afghan peace process, the Pakistani army said. An army statement said that matters related to mutual interest, current developments in Afghan peace process, peace and stability in the region and Pak-Afghan border management were discussed during the meeting at the army's General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. "Visiting dignitaries appreciated positive role being played by Pakistan for Afghan Peace Process," the statement from the army's media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations said. Khalilzad held talks with the Pakistani army chief and other senior military officials at a time when there is no obvious progress in the intra-Afghan negotiations currently underway in Qatar. Enditem 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. Kington, UK -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/08/2020 -- For decades QuickBooks and Peachtree have been the cherry on top for small business accounting software. QuickBooks holds 89 percent of the small business accounting software market in the United States. A company's profile can be easily set up within the program, as well as put transactions in place, among other things. It does all of this with very user-friendly interfaces and pictures to guide you along. QuickBooks also carries the upper hand with the use of forms that are designed to resemble actual paper documents that would typically be filled out. QuickBooks exhibits top-notch integration capabilities with Yahoo and Gmail integration, along with online banking integrations as well. Peachtree is also reported to offer superior options in terms of financial statement customization as well. Peachtree's reports, however, according to experts, are a bit outdated compared to QuickBooks, which has an unconventional approach to reports. Moreover, QuickBooks works on Mac and Peachtree doesn't. Switching to QuickBooks has never been easier with conversion services like E-Tech. E-Tech has worked with accounting data migration for almost two decades and converts the current Peachtree accounting system to QuickBooks with speed and accuracy. Peachtree's data is accessed directly. List data, including chart of accounts, customers, vendors, jobs, employees, classes, inventory, service and tax items, assemblies, price levels, shipping methods, terms, and other names will be converted irreproachably. For more information on this service, visit https://e-tech.ca/Peachtree-to-Quickbooks.aspx About E-Tech E-Tech is the leading service provider of QuickBooks File Repair, Data Recovery, QuickBooks Conversion and QuickBooks SDK programming in the UK and Ireland. In their 20 years plus of experience with Intuit QuickBooks, they have assisted over 1000 satisfied customers with their requirements. E-Tech UK covers US, UK, Canadian, Australian versions which include Reckon Accounts, and New Zealand versions of QuickBooks through PC and Mac platforms. For media inquiries regarding E-Tech, individuals are encouraged to contact Media Relations Director, Melanie Ann via email at Melanie@e-tech.ca. To learn more about the company, visit: https://quickbooksrecovery.co.uk/ Media contact Melanie Ann E-Tech 61 Bridge St. Kington HR5 3DJ Melanie@e-tech.ca www.quickbooksrecovery.co.uk 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. Municipal Council of the City of Geneva, Switzerland, on Wednesday passed a resolution condemning the military aggression of Azerbaijan, recognizing the right of the Armenians of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) to self-determination, and forcing the freezing of the assets in Switzerland of the ruling Aliyev clan of Azerbaijan. The resolution submitted to the 80-member council for debates is entitled: "Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh have the right to live and self-determination." It provides a historical overview of this matter, condemns atrocities against Armenian civilians, and calls on the city council of Geneva to do all it can to uphold all provisions of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions. "The Municipal Council recognizes the right of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to self-determination as the only way to ensure their safety," the aforesaid city council resolution reads, in particular. It is noteworthy that this resolution was adopted ahead of Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramovs visit to Geneva. On Thursday, the twelfth day of the large-scale hostilities unleashed by Azerbaijan, Bayramov will meet in Geneva with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. Watch: Kristen Stewart opens up about her sexuality Kristen Stewart is opening up about queer representation in Hollywood and how her journey has evolved in the spotlight. In her new movie Happiest Season, Stewart plays a gay character named Abby who goes home with her girlfriend for Christmas. But Abbys girlfriend has yet to come out to her family. Although Stewart has played queer characters before, she was drawn to this script because of her own personal experiences. Ive been on both sides of that dynamic where someone is having a hard time acknowledging who they are and the other person is more self-accepting, Stewart tells Happiest Season director Clea DuVall in InStyle. I [personally] came into the more complex aspects of myself a little bit later. I never felt an immense shame, but I also don't feel far away from that story, so I must have it in a latent sense. Stewart added, I don't want to aggrandise my own pain, because I know that others pain has been so great. Living in this world, being a queer person, there are things that hurt constantly. Kristen Stewart on how she used to feel an 'enormous' amount of pressure being a queer actress and how she feels now. (WireImage) Although Stewart has been acting since she was a child, it was 2008s Twilight that launched her to superstardom. The actresss off-screen romance with Robert Pattinson only heightened public interest in her personal life, which spilled over after their breakup. The first time I ever dated a girl, I was immediately being asked if I was a lesbian. And it's like, God, I'm 21 years old, Stewart reflected. It made her want to keep her private life private, which had its own consequences. Read more: Kristen Stewart says she'd be up for playing a gay superhero for Marvel I felt like maybe there were things that have hurt people Ive been with. Not because I felt ashamed of being openly gay but because I didnt like giving myself to the public, in a way. It felt like such thievery. This was a period of time when I was sort of cagey, she shared. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson (Getty Images) Even in my previous relationships, which were straight, we did everything we could to not be photographed doing things things that would become not ours, Stewart continued. So I think the added pressure of representing a group of people, of representing queerness, wasnt something I understood then. Story continues Only now can I see it. Retrospectively, I can tell you I have experience with this story. But back then I would have been like, No, I'm fine. My parents are fine with it. Everything's fine. That's bull****. It's been hard. It's been weird. It's that way for everyone. Being a queer person, playing a gay character, do you feel like there's almost an expectation for you to be a spokesperson for the community? DuVall asked. I did more when I was younger, when I was being hounded about labelling myself, Stewart replied. I had no reticence about displaying who I was. I was going out every day knowing I'd be photographed while I was being affectionate with my girlfriend, but I didnt want to talk about it. While she did feel an enormous pressure, Stewart clarified the pressure wasnt put on her by the LGBTQ+ community. Kristen Stewart attends the Charlie's Angels Premiere at the Curzon Mayfair in London. (Photo by James Warren / SOPA Images/Sipa USA) People were seeing those pictures and reading these articles and going, Oh, well, I need to be shown. I was a kid, and I felt personally affronted, Stewart explained. Now I relish it. I love the idea that anything I do with ease rubs off on somebody who is struggling. That s***s dope! When I see a little kid clearly feeling themselves in a way that they wouldn't have when I grew up, it makes me skip. Stewart said she has made some changes in her personal life, but it doesnt have to do with who she may or may not be dating. The actress, who turned 30 in April, said she woke up thinking, You need to get your a** in gear on the big day. I was drinking too much in the beginning [of the pandemic], so I stopped drinking and smoking. Im embarrassed because it sounds really cliche, but, whatever, it's true, she shared. Now, a typical day includes walking her dogs, walking with people and donating. I feel horrible about the state of the world, so I'm donating money but I'm not marching, and I'm feeling weird about it, she noted. Im a frustrated optimist. I'm always thinking, It cant be as bad as this. When asked how politically active she is, Stewart simply said, People need to vote. I read the news every day, but I dont fixate on it, she explained. I have some friends who won't stop, and it's all they talk about. Im not saying I don't want to confront these things. But in terms of how involved I am, Ive never been the face of anything. I don't even have a public Instagram. I really do like to support people who are already doing it and have been for years. Watch: The internet responds to Kristen Stewart playing Diana 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. Bir Lehlou (Sahrawi Republic) 6 October 2020 (SPS)- The President of the Republic and Secretary-General of Frente POLISARIO, Mr Brahim Ghali, addressed a letter to both the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Antonio Guterres, and the Russian Ambassador to the United Nations, Mr Vassily Nebenzia, the current President of the Security Council, stressing that the recent Secretary-Generals report does not reflect the reality of the alarming situation in occupied Western Sahara, stressing the need for taking serious and practical measures to bring to a successful conclusion the decolonisation of Western Sahara, the last colony in Africa. President of the Republic underlined that the Frente POLISARIO does not share the Secretary-Generals assessment that the general situation in the Territory and at Guerguerat is calm. The fact remains that the situation in the Territory is far from being calm, particularly in the Territories of Western Sahara under the illegal occupation of Morocco. President of the Sahrawi Republic enquired how the situation could be calm whilst the Moroccan occupying authorities are intensifying their repressive and terrorising actions against Sahrawi civilians in occupied Western Sahara and when the continued illegal presence and activities of the Moroccan army in the Buffer Strip in Guerguerat are fuelling more tension in the area and seriously endangering the ceasefire Regarding the criticism expressed by the Frente POLISARIO regarding MINURSO and the United Nations, which is referred to in the Report, President of the Republic affirmed in his letter that this position is justified and is not only related to the lack of progress in the political process, as the Secretary-General reports. The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) has not only failed so far to implement the mandate for which it was established by Security Council resolution 690 (1991) but it has also become a passive bystander of Moroccos annexationist actions aimed to forcibly entrench and normalise its illegal occupation of parts of Western Sahara. Moreover, the United Nations has repeatedly failed to act robustly to end Moroccos deliberate attempts to undermine MINURSO mandate and to reduce it to ceasefire monitoring, and thus to transform the Mission into a firefighter and a maintainer of the status quo. According to the President of the Republic, this utterly unacceptable situation, among many other things, was the reason that compelled the Frente POLISARIO to take its decision of 30 October 2019 regarding the reconsideration of our engagement in the UN peace process in its entirety. President of the Republic underlined that as long as this situation persists, the Frente POLISARIO will not engage in any process that is not in line with the parameters of the mandate for which implementation MINURSO was established by the Security Council in its resolution 690 (1991) of 29 April 1991. President of the Republic also raised the issue of the systematic human rights violations to which the Sahrawi people in occupied Western Sahara are subjected by the Moroccan occupying authorities. He drew attention to the fact that the report fails to mention that such violations are mounting at an alarming rate, and that the fate of dozens of Sahrawi prisoners and disappeared remain unaccounted for in addition to the many people who were denied access to or expelled from the Territory by the Moroccan occupying authorities. President of the Republic observed that, given the persistent systematic human rights violations perpetrated by Moroccan authorities against the Sahrawi people, we cannot understand why MINURSO mandate is not expanded to include a human rights component that would enable the independent, impartial, comprehensive and sustained monitoring of the human rights situation in the Mission area, as called for repeatedly by the Secretary-General in his previous reports. Regarding the reference in the report to the status of the buffer strip as a demilitarised zone, President of the Republic reaffirmed the position of the Frente POLISARIO that the Moroccan illegal breach in Guerguerat did not exist at the time of the entry into force of the ceasefire on 6 September 1991. It also did not exist when Military Agreement No. 1 was signed between MINURSO and the Frente POLISARIO on 24 December 1997, and between MINURSO and Morocco on 22 January 1998. None of the two agreements included any provisions authorising the creation of breaches or crossing points for civilian and other activities along the Moroccan military wall. The breach, which constitutes a unilateral change of the status quo in the Buffer Strip, was negotiated neither between the two parties nor between the two parties and the United Nations. The President of the Republic called on the United Nations to close immediately the Moroccan illegal breach because it is endangering not only the situation in the Buffer Strip but also the ceasefire itself. Regarding the relation and interaction between MINURSO and the Frente POLISARIO, President of the Republic stressed that the relation with MINURSO is governed by the agreements reached with the Mission in the context of the implementation of its mandate as established the Security Council. Consequently, the Frente POLISARIO cannot accept any dictates as to where or how it should meet with MINURSO civilian and military leadership. The position of the Frente POLISARIO regarding this issue is abundantly clear and is based on a sound legal foundation. President of the Republic stressed that it is utterly unacceptable that, because of fear of reprisals by Morocco and the latters continued policy of blackmail on this issue, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of MINURSO and other senior civilian and military officials of the Mission cannot meet with the Frente POLISARIO at any location within the boundaries of the Territory, particularly the Liberated Territories of Western Sahara administered by the Frente POLISARIO. In closing, President of the Republic underlined that the situation in Western Sahara, particularly in the Territories of Western Sahara under the Moroccan illegal occupation, remains alarmingly unstable. The political process is completely paralysed, and the Sahrawi people have lost faith in the United Nations and its Mission that has regrettably become a passive bystander to the Moroccan unlawful actions that aim to consolidate Moroccos illegal occupation of parts of Western Sahara that remains a Non-Self-Governing Territory on the United Nations agenda. In this regard, President of the Republic stressed that, at a time when the Security Council is expected to adopt a resolution on the renewal of MINURSO mandate by the end of the month, the only way forward therefore is to take serious, practical actions with a view to creating the necessary conditions for MINURSO to implement the primary mandate for which it was originally established, namely the holding of a free and fair referendum whereby the people of Western Sahara would exercise freely and democratically their inalienable right to self-determination and independence, thus bringing to a successful conclusion the decolonisation of the last colony in Africa. (SPS) 090/500/60 (SPS) 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. India: On the seas Indian coastline, a way of life is in trouble October 08,2020 | Source: Mongabay On the seas Indian coastline, a way of life is in trouble. The fishing community is drowning, Naresh M. Gohil, a resident of Chimbai, said on a winter morning in 2015, when I visited the settlement in the state of Maharashtra. I am the last generation of fishermen in my family, he said. In Maharashtra, fish production from the state has fallen since 2004. More than 90% of the yield in 2019 was captured by large mechanized boats. In a survey among fishers in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu states in 2011, an overwhelming majority said their catch had shrunk, with Maharashtra fishers pegging this decline to around the turn of the century. The fishers I spoke to in Chimbai agreed with the surveyed fishers that industrial fishing was a big reason for their withering fishing fortunes. Very few fishers here see climate change as a major factor, a survey by a local NGO revealed. Seeking richer answers to poorer seas But declines in fish catches call for richer explanations, the emerging research shows. Industrial pollution and domestic sewage discharged into the sea by Mumbai is a leading cause for dwindling local fisheries, according to Indias Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute. Coastal megacities in India generate more than 6 billion liters (1.6 billion gallons) of wastewater daily. Overall, the country can treat only about a third of its sewage. That means billions of liters of untreated sewage are being flushed into the Arabian Sea every year. The water body is believed to host the worlds largest dead zone, where the oxygen concentration is so low it is not conducive to life. Its waters are naturally sluggish, preventing oxygen mixing. Sewage and agricultural runoff dumped in the sea soaks up oxygen as it decomposes, creating zones where marine species struggle to survive. Except, it seems, for N. scintillans. It doesnt just fare better in oxygen-poor waters; the dense colonies it forms could be contributing to oxygen depletion. The outbreaks are expansive; in satellite imagery, they appear like spirals of oily green paint stretched across the entire northern Arabian Sea. When the N. scintillans cells die and sink into the ocean depths, their decay could be sucking more oxygen from deep waters that are already hypoxic. A more stratified water column, skewed nutrient availability and oxygen loss all point to profound changes in the Arabian Sea. Scientists like Gomes and Goes see the sea sparkle blooms as not just a symptom of the changing environmental conditions, but as a trigger for disruptions yet to come. Despite all the changes that Chimbai residents are witnessing, the sea remains a reassuring presence. They have a saying: The sea keeps no secrets, it keeps nothing in its stomach. It reflects a belief in the perpetual pristineness of the vast blue. No matter what humans throw at the sea, it remains unscathed. That worldview could be upended at a time when human activities are transforming the seas in unprecedented ways. 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. A protest march to state secretariat Nabanna by West Bengal BJP, which was organised by the party's Yuva Morcha, turned violent on Thursday after party workers allegedly hurled bombs and pelted stones at the policemen in Kolkata and the adjoining Howrah district. The police resorted to lathi-charge and also used tear gas shells to disperse the agitators who were marching towards the Nabanna building that houses Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's office. Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, the newly-appointed national President of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), who landed in Kolkata late on Wednesday night, led one of the rallies from the Howrah Maidan. "It was a peaceful protest march. But the police, who are hand in glove with Trinamool Congress goons, tried to frustrate the political programme. Over 1,000 BJP workers were injured and over 500 were arrested during the rally. Is this called democracy in Bengal," asked Surya, dubbing it as a 'Black Day' in the history of state politics. Several BJP activists, including state Vice President Raju Banerjee, were injured in the clash. BJP state President Dilip Ghosh was also injured in the lathi-charge. Angry party workers also set tyres on fire as a mark of protest. Senior state BJP leaders, including Kailash Vijayvargiya, Arjun Singh, Locket Chatterjee and Mukul Roy, were among those present in the protest march. Protesting against the alleged deterioration of law and order situation in the state, the youth wing of the saffron party organised a march to Nabanna from four areas with a seven-point charter of demands. The protest was part of the BJP's political strategy before the final push against the ruling Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, as the state Assembly elections are due in April-May next year. However, the Mamata Banerjee-led state government had announced on Wednesday that the building will remain shut down for two days, on October 8 and 9, for a Covid-19 sanitisation drive. The state BJP leadership also termed the decision of closing down Nabanna as a reflection of Trinamool Congress' fear. Countering the BJP, Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP Saugata Roy said that Mamata Banerjee would be the last person to be afraid of the BJP. Colorado Spring Police Department Lee and Stella Vigil The elderly New Mexico couple who were found dead in Colorado from gunshot wounds just hours after being reported missing Friday night died in an apparent murder-suicide, according to local reports. Detectives confirm Lee and Stella Vigil whose bodies were found near the Santa Fe Trail in Colorado Springs died in an apparent death pact. KOAA, KKTV and FOX 21 report that authorities believe Leroy, 73, shot and killed his 72-year-old wife before shooting himself. Their bodies were recovered by a search party consisting of concerned relatives and law enforcement officials. RELATED: Missing Colo. Couple Is Found Dead on Hiking Trail and Cops Say They're Not Looking for Suspects The couple was reported missing Friday after failing to return from a hike. On Tuesday, Colorado Springs detectives announced they had secured evidence that "supported an agreement" existed "between Mr. and Mrs. Vigil to end their lives together." The El Paso County Coroner's Office, who completed autopsies on the couple's remains, classified Stella's death as a "homicide" while Lee's was officially labeled a "suicide." Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Details of the couple's alleged death pact, or why the murder-suicide occurred now, were unclear in the reports. 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. CAIRO - A workshop dedicated to a programme of farming mechanisation financed by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) with a 10-million-euro aid credit took place in Fayoum, Egypt on Wednesday. The programme was created by the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies di Bari (CIHEAM) in collaboration with the Egyptian Farm Ministry. The workshop followed the arrival in Egypt of the first lot of farm machines from Italy as part of the programme, which has the objective of increasing farm productivity by promoting mechanisation. Fourteen farm-ministry farm mechanisation centres in the governorates of Minya and Fayoum will benefit from the programme, which will allow the centres to provide services for about 250 medium-large businesses and 11 farm cooperatives, involving about 3,500 small farms and direct farmers. The work of the seminar took place in the presence of Fayoum Governor General Ahmed El Ansari, Agricultural Research Center President Dr. Mohamed Soliman, and representatives from the Egyptian International Cooperation Ministry, the Italian Embassy, and AICS. Please make us as individuals more deeply aware of our American heritage, with its triumphs and failings. Help us realize not only our rights, but also our responsibilities as citizens. Forgive our mistakes. Help us correct them. Make us know true honor, humility and selflessness. Make us just and kind and forgiving so that we can move forward to fulfill our American dreams. FRO Transition of Chief Executive Officer Frontline Ltd. yesterday announced that Robert Hvide Macleod, Chief Executive Officer of Frontline Management AS, has decided to step down from his position. The Board has appointed Lars H. Barstad, Frontlines Commercial Director, to take the role as Interim Chief Executive Officer of Frontline Management AS. With his solid background within the industry and his profound understanding of the Company and its organization the board is confident that this new appointment will ensure a successful and seamless transition of the role. Mr. Macleod will be available for the company till April 30th, 2021. I would like to thank Robert for his contribution to Frontline. He has led the Company through a period of significant fleet growth and renewal, said John Fredriksen, Chairman of Frontline. I wish Robert continued success in his future endeavors. I have thoroughly enjoyed the last six years at Frontline, working with a great team through often volatile market conditions, said Mr. Macleod. The organization is best-in-class, and Frontlines scale and presence in the tanker industry is unrivaled. I am grateful to the Board of Directors for the opportunity to lead the Company over the last six years and would like to express my sincere gratitude to my friends and colleagues who have contributed to Frontlines success during my tenure. I am grateful that the board has given me the trust to take the role as Interim CEO of Frontline after having served with the company for five years in various positions. It is exciting times ahead in the tanker market in which I will do my utmost to make sure that Frontline continue building shareholders value said Lars H. Barstad. Ruby Rose sets the record straight regarding her decision to leave The CW show "Batwoman." Earlier this year, the former MTV Australia host dropped the bombshell news that she quit the show after wrapping its first season. Since then, she has been plagued with controversies surrounding her sudden exit in "Batwoman." Now, the "Orange Is the New Black" alum wanted to make things clear as she spoke about the real reason behind her departure. Ruby Rose Addresses Controversy Behind "Batwoman" Series In her recent interview with SiriusXM's "The Jess Cagle Show," Rose revealed that COVID-19 played a big part after the production was halted due to the global pandemic. "We didn't get to finish the first season, which is such a shame, especially for a first season show...and then we went into lockdown with COVID and thinking of in quarantine and locked down, there was a lot of thought and reflection and kind of everyone did it," Rose explained, per Just Jared. The CW show went on a hiatus for months alongside other Vancouver-based series, such as the teen drama "Riverdale" and Netflix's "Maid." The 5-foot-7 stunner also mentioned that she had a "great time" filming the show and considers it as one of her greatest achievements in her acting career. "I am so proud of what we achieved. We set out to achieve something pretty significant, you know, the first ever live action Batwoman and the first ever, you know, out gay superhero, her and Kate Kane. And I love that character and the whole experience." She then spoke about her and the network's mutual decision to go in "different directions." From Orange Overalls to Cat Suit Back in August 2018, it was announced that the "Orange Is the New Black" star will play the titular role and her alter ego, Kate Kane. In her Instagram post, the Australian actress got a little emotional as she mentioned that portraying the iconic superhero is her "childhood dream." "This is something I would have died to have seen on TV when I was a young member of the LGBT community who never felt represented on tv and felt alone and different," she captioned alongside her photo and an animated Batwoman donning the famous black suit. At the time, the show's executive producer, Caroline Dries, explained that the 34-year-old actress is a perfect fit for the role as she possesses an X-factor of a "cool, nonchalant, somewhat aloof, mixed with charming and thoughtful and funny" type of person. Unfortunately, Ruby Rose suffered a severe back injury while shooting the series sometime in September. Following her accident, she then announced that she would no longer return for the second season. Rumors sparked that the former model is reportedly "unhappy" with the requirement of working long hours for the series lead, as cited by Variety. This reportedly eventually caused friction on the set, which prompted her to leave the show. The source also revealed to the publication that her recent move with "Batwoman" "had nothing to do with her health or injury." READ MORE: LeBron James' House: A Tour of LeBron's New $36.8 Million Mansion US Secretray of State Mike Pompeo declared a 'snapback' of UN sanctions on Iran last month - Reuters The United States is expected to impose new sanctions on Iran on Thursday aimed at shutting Tehran out of the global financial sector and forcing it to renegotiate a nuclear deal. The sanctions will target the remaining Iranian banks not already subject to secondary sanctions and penalise any foreign, non-Iranian financial institutions doing business with them, officials said, with the aim of denying Tehran legal avenues for earning revenue. The Washington Post first reported on the US plan, which experts say could hinder Irans ability to buy food and medicine, despite the possibility of exemptions for humanitarian goods. The plan is the latest intensification of the US maximum pressure campaign on Iran, as the administration of President Donald Trump seeks a foreign policy win ahead of November presidential elections by forcing Iran to renegotiate the nuclear agreement Mr Trump quit in May 2018. Following the unilateral US withdrawal, Iran progressively abandoned many of the restrictions of the 2015 agreement. Last month, the United States declared a snapback of United Nations sanctions on Iran, though this was disputed by almost every other UN Security Council member. Opponents of sanctions, including European governments, say they will have severe humanitarian consequences, and could block food and medicine imports as the country suffers from a spiralling coronavirus epidemic. Amid a collapsing economy, Iran is battling the worst outbreak in the Middle East, with the health ministry reporting a record 4,392 new cases in the past 24 hours on Thursday. Iranian officials say existing sanctions already hinder access to humanitarian goods and endanger millions of lives. Contrary to US claims, humanitarian goods and services are affected by the cruel sanctions, Mohammad Zareyian told the United Nations General Assembly Third Committee on Wednesday. Financial institutions fear US vengeance, which is why the financial channels created to facilitate transactions for humanitarian commodities have had no tangible results, said Irans representative to the committee, which deals with human rights, in remarks published by Irans semi-official Fars News agency. Far from forcing Iran back to the negotiating table, US sanctions are likely to strengthen Iranian leaders opposed to compromise, some now fear. This really isnt about getting Iran to negotiate. That ship has sailed, said Chris Murphy, a Democrat Senator from Connecticut. Now the primary impact of these sanctions will likely be assuring the most anti-American, hardest line candidate wins the Iranian presidential election next year. 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. 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. New Delhi: Afghanistan's National Reconciliation Council President Abdullah Abdullah is on a visit to New Delhi to seek India's support on the peace process. Afghan diplomat Abdullah Abdullah has met PM Narendra Modi today. The Abdullah Abdullah-led committee is representing the Afghan government in the ongoing peace talks with the Taliban. According to information given by the Ministry of External Affairs, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, President of the High Council for National Reconciliation of Afghanistan has met PM Narendra Modi. Earlier, Abdullah Abdullah had also met National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval in the country's capital on Wednesday. The meeting deliberated on the progress of the ongoing peace talks with the Taliban and other bilateral issues. In this dialogue, India has announced full support for the peace talks. Sources said, some other issues have been discussed in the meeting. The meeting was attended by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, army chief mm Narwane, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan, and Joint Secretary of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran affairs JP Singh. Also Read: Hathras case: SIT summoned 40 villagers present at victim's funeral Hathras Case: Priyanka Gandhi slams Yogi Government, says "Victim needs justice, not notoriety" Corona can be more dangerous in winter, 'Third peak' likely to occur Delhi MG looking for automobile unit in India on lease Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 17:18:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Sarwar Danish (R), Afghanistan's second vice president, receives the medical supplies from Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Wang Yu during the handover ceremony in Kabul,capital of Afghanistan, Oct. 8, 2020. Afghanistan on Thursday received more anti-epidemic supplies from China to aid its fight against COVID-19. They were in the sixth batch of Chinese aid to the war-torn Asian country which was hit by the outbreak of COVID-19 in late February. (Photo by Rahmatullah Alizadah/Xinhua) KABUL, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan on Thursday received more anti-epidemic supplies from China to aid its fight against COVID-19. The much-needed supplies included 20,000 protective suits, nearly 40,000 test kits, two fully automated nucleic acid extractors, two PCR (polymerase chain reaction) machines, and masks and gloves. They were in the sixth batch of Chinese aid to the war-torn Asian country which was hit by the outbreak of COVID-19 in late February. Addressing the handover ceremony held in the capital Kabul, Chinese Ambassador Wang Yu said, "Despite the huge pressure on its own shoulders, China has since April overcome enormous difficulties and actively provided to the best of its ability assistance for Afghanistan in pandemic response." Facing challenges caused by the pandemic, "China and Afghanistan have always stood by each other and witnessed a true friendship in need," Wang added. At the ceremony, Sarwar Danish, Afghanistan's second vice president, voiced his country's gratitude to China for the assistance. "Afghanistan has received several batches of Chinese aid. I sincerely thank China and other countries for their generous assistance to Afghanistan," he said. China donated the first batch of medical supplies to Afghanistan on April 2. Afghanistan on Wednesday reported 62 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing its total tally to 39,548. Enditem 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. Nathan Apodaca salutes the camera with his skateboard on the back of his new truck. (Ocean Spray / Jonesworks ) It turns out that Nathan Apodaca and his popular TikTok account aren't just a pandemic gift to the internet. They've likely been a boon for business for the cranberry cooperative Ocean Spray too. On Tuesday, Apodaca known on TikTok as @420doggface208 received a new "cranberry red" truck from Ocean Spray, whose juice was featured prominently in one of Apodaca's videos that went viral last month. Posted Sept. 25, the clip featured Apodaca skateboarding and drinking Ocean Spray Cran-Raspberry juice while lip-syncing to Fleetwood Macs 1977 hit "Dreams. Within days, sales of the song had tripled and its streams had doubled, according to figures from Alpha Data. The original TikTok has since garnered 26.2 million views (and counting) and inspired Mick Fleetwood himself to re-create the video. The video's popularity has amounted to free advertising for Ocean Spray, prompting the company to return the favor with a well-meaning gesture many might deem a marketing ploy. "When we saw Nathan Apodacas video and the joy it created, we knew we needed to celebrate him and the happiness he spurred," Ocean Spray Chief Executive Tom Hayes said in a statement. "Yesterday Ocean Spray was humbled to gift Nathan with something of importance to him a truck we knew he needed." Hayes joined in on the "Doggface Challenge," re-creating Apodaca's video in his first-ever TikTok video. "Did we just become best friends?" he captioned the video, tagging Apodaca and Fleetwood. "I was given an awesome surprise yesterday a brand new set of wheels from Ocean Spray!" Apodaca said in the same statement. "Its been a wild ride for sure, and I feel humbled to be putting out these good vibes for everyone right now." Story continues Talking to The Times last week, Apodaca said he's a big fan of the beverage and probably goes through one big jug a day. In the middle of a Zoom interview with The Times, the Idahoan lifted a jug into view and took a swig. "If I go out and buy a bottle of this in a 20-ounce or a 10-ounce, whatever they come in, it's gonna cost as much as this in the big one," Apodaca told The Times. "So I'm trying to get my money's worth. So yeah, I'll just sip this until it's gone. And then after that, it's straight H20." In the original viral video, Apodaca drinks the juice right out of the bottle, multitasking as he longboards to work on the highway. He dealt with car trouble on a daily basis, he told The Times, and that day his car battery died en route to his job at a potato warehouse. Determined to start his shift on time, he hopped on his longboard, which he always kept in the car in case of emergencies like these. The viral TikTok video was shot in just one take, he said. Now his car-battery woes are no more: A car dealership in Idaho Falls, where Apodaca lives, partnered with Ocean Spray to donate the red pickup truck to the overnight TikTok sensation fully stocked with his drink of choice. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. COVID-19 cases were up again last week 104 in Platte County to be exact. Now the health department and City of Columbus leaders are urging residents to avoid crowds, wear masks and social distance. Hospitalizations and new cases in the state hit a new high over the weekend as University of Nebraska Medical Center experts warned that hospitals are fuller than they were in May, according to the Omaha World-Herald, a sister publication of The Columbus Telegram. On a personal level, Im trying to avoid the crowds and trying to get everything that I need done in as (few) trips as I need, City Council President Charlie Bahr said. If youre going to be in a crowd, you need to wear a mask and a lot of the stores are requiring them, which I think is probably a prudent idea. Other measures include washing hands and using disinfectants. There are 11 hospitalized in the ECDHD district, which encompasses Nance, Colfax, Boone and Platte counties. On Oct. 7, there had been six new cases since Oct. 6. Platte County is now in the orange level risk dial, for elevated risk. So, what does this mean? The most important thing about the dial moving into the orange risk level is that we are seeing an increase in cases and hospitalizations, meaning more people are having more severe symptoms among those recent cases, ECDHD Chief Public Health Officer Chuck Sepers wrote in an email to The Telegram. Its important to not overwhelm the health care system and prevent those who are most susceptible to the worst effects of the virus from developing COVID-19, he said. We can do that by avoiding large crowds whenever possible, wearing a mask at all times when around others, and maintaining 6 feet of distance whenever possible, Sepers said. In the previous risk level -- moderate -- the health department recommended staying at home most of the time, with caution for non-essential travel and work. The department also wrote gatherings should only take place with modifications for COVID-19. Now, ECDHD recommends residents stay at home unless traveling for work, medical care or food. There should be no large gatherings or events with no more than 10 people and residents should interact with the smallest number of contacts feasible." Despite the elevated risk, Platte County is also in Stage IV Directed Health Measures (DHMs), which allow for greater occupancy for indoor and outdoor gatherings. Sepers wrote it is important for residents to be aware of the level of virus in their area and to match their actions to the level of COVID-19 activity and spread. At home, area residents should follow the local DHMs, and guidance from their health department. If they are traveling to a part of Nebraska, or to another state that is under different DHMs or guidance, they should follow the rules in place there, Sepers said. Columbus Mayor Jim Bulkley has been wearing his mask at public events, such as City Council meetings and ribbon-cutting ceremonies. I think everything helps and so if it helps even a little, its well worth the effort doing it, Bulkley said. My grandkids are wearing masks at school and it doesnt seem to be the end of the world for them. I think kids actually buy into it easier than adults do. Right now, Bulkley said he thinks residents are doing things pretty well but they have to continue to do things well. We really want to stay focused on being aware that its around us and there are things we can do which are pretty much common sense, I believe, Bulkley said. We just need to stay the coursethe biggest thing to remember is this thing doesnt take a vacation and doesnt take a break. Although Bahr said he does not believe the City Council will be doing anything like a mask mandate, they are appealing to the peoples common sense. I guess thats just about the best we can do, he said. Carolyn Komatsoulis is a reporter for the Columbus Telegram. Reach her via email at carolyn.komatsoulis@lee.net. Love 0 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 22:19:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LANZHOU, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- As she steps into the classroom and faces dozens of young faces eager for knowledge, Zhao Xiaolan often recalls the recent past when she and her younger brother squeezed and studied late in a small rented room. In the fall semester, Zhao, 23, got her first job as a middle school Chinese language teacher. Her 20-year-old brother Zhao Xiaoqiang is now a sophomore in the medical school of Lanzhou University. During the past decade, China has made big progress in reducing poverty through the promotion of education, which is key to stopping poverty from being passed on to the next generations. Benefiting from the country's education policies for poverty alleviation, this sister and brother have broken cycles of intergenerational poverty and reversed their family fate. They are from Xiabamu village, one of the most impoverished villages in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of northwest China's Gansu Province. Twelve years ago, their parents worked thousands of kilometers away from home for higher incomes to support the family. The two, 11 and 8 years old then, had since become left-behind children. "Every year, only when the river in front of our house froze, my parents came back home," recalled the brother. Being almost illiterate, the parents could only do heavy labor work at construction sites with an annual income of around 6,000 yuan (about 880 U.S. dollars). For years, the family struggled under the poverty line. At the age of 13, the sister moved into a rented house with a single-bedroom near the school with her brother. Every back-to-school season, she would wait for the money transferred by her parents to pay tuition and rent. Sometimes, she had to knock on the doors of their relatives to borrow money. "Those days were hard," said Zhao Xiaolan. "I was so worried we might be rejected from the school if we did not pay tuition on time." Things changed in 2013 when China initiated its targeted poverty alleviation program, which demands tailored policies to suit different local situations. The government also stressed the importance of education in poverty reduction and has implemented a series of measures to ensure children of impoverished families can enjoy access to high-quality education. From the fall semester in 2013, the sister and brother started receiving national education funds and subsidies that waive tuition and other fees, supply free textbooks, and grant living allowances for boarders. "We did not need to pay for school," said Zhao Xiaolan, adding that they also received national and regional subsidies of more than 5,000 yuan every semester. "Our school provided free breakfast and lunch, and I finally started to grow taller with the help of nutritious food," recalled Zhao Xiaoqiang, jokingly. Meanwhile, their family was supported by other poverty-alleviation policies, such as basic medical services for their parents and free renovation for their dilapidated house. The local government also helped their mother get a job nearby so that she could keep the company of her children. In 2015, the sister became the first college student in the family. Local education authorities helped her get a student loan covering her four years' tuition. "Go and study hard. Do not worry about money. The government would not let you drop out," Ning Xuezhong, director of the Zhuoni county education department, was recalled as saying then. Last year, Zhao Xiaoqiang got the highest scores in the college entrance examination in the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and was admitted to the medical school of Lanzhou University. According to statistics from the Gansu provincial education department, from 2016 to 2019, a total of 17.33 billion yuan of educational funds or student loans were issued, benefiting 12.12 million students in the province. On the national agenda, China aims to achieve the goal of eradicating absolute poverty by the end of this year. By March, the poor population in Gansu had been reduced to 175,000 from 1.11 million in 2018. To Zhao's family, they had realized this goal one year ahead and started to fight for a higher goal of living a relatively well-off life. This year, Zhao Xiaolan becomes a special-post teacher in a village middle school in Gannan, entitled to a monthly salary of 5,500 yuan, nearly equaling her family's total annual income in the past. "Education has changed my life radically. And now I am willing to help more kids change theirs," she said. Enditem At a campaign rally in Bemidji, Minn., on Sept. 18, President Trump told the mostly white crowd: "You have good genes in Minnesota." (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) To the editor: Most of the coverage we read of President Trump is about his COVID-19 infection, including his reckless advice to the American people not to be afraid of the disease. The L.A. Times has something else: an article by reporter Seema Mehta about the president's expressed support for the "racehorse theory" of genetics, including a rally in Minnesota last month at which he said his supporters have good genes like he does. There is much information on the internet about hate-based beliefs, including the racehorse theory, eugenics, Aryan race superiority, ethnic cleansing, forced sterilization of minority groups and more. Why would any president accept or encourage hateful ideas that deserve to be condemned? America fought against Adolf Hitler and Hideki Tojo in World War II in part because we reject tyrants who kill for the sake of racial hatred. The optimist in me hopes that Trump does not want to be remembered as a leader whose rule resulted in the death of a million or more people. American exceptionalism should not include joining a list that includes Mao Zedong, Joseph Stalin, Leopold II, Hitler and Tojo. Alan Stillson, Woodland Hills .. To the editor: This is more frightening than most things I've heard from the Trump administration, and that's saying a lot. As a Holocaust educator and a Jew knowledgeable about my people's history, I know exactly how this ends. Never forget, and never again. Richard Shafarman, Santa Clarita This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Vice President Mike Pence made it clear Tuesday night during the vice presidential debate that he is "pro-life" and "won't apologize for it." But he was more evasive on an earlier question about whether he would support his home state of Indiana banning all abortions, should Roe v. Wade get overturned by the Supreme Court. Pence began using his response time by addressing a topic related to a previous question the assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, which was ordered by President Trump earlier this year and then, when turning back to the more recent query, he altered the topic slightly to praise Judge Amy Coney Barrett, whose nomination for the Supreme Court has raised speculation about the fate of Roe. But the vice president never explicitly addressed his stance on the matter. Susan Page: "If Roe V. Wade was overturned what would you want Indiana to do? Would you want your home state to ban all abortions?" Pence: Let me talk about Soleimani... pic.twitter.com/ja6WYRo3QL Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) October 8, 2020 More stories from theweek.com Mike Pence was the unlikely winner of the vice presidential debate The myth of Mike Pence's appeal Trump is shockingly bad at this Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley testifies before the House Armed Services Committee during a hearing on the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Budget Request from the Department of Defense on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., the United States, on Feb. 26, 2020. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Members of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, including Chairman Mark Milley, are reportedly in quarantine after exposure to COVID-19, as infections linked to the White House continue to grow. The news emerged Tuesday afternoon after the Coast Guard announced its vice commandant, Admiral Charles Ray, had tested positive for the virus and would be quarantining from home. Ray attended meetings with other senior military leaders at the Pentagon last week, according to a spokesperson. "Out of an abundance of caution, all potential close contacts from these meetings are self-quarantining and have been tested this morning," Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement. "No Pentagon contacts have exhibited symptoms and we have no additional positive tests to report at this time." In addition to Milley, Vice Chairman John Hyten and several other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a panel of high-ranking U.S. military officers who advise the president and other civilian leaders on military issues, have also reportedly entered quarantine. "There is no change to the operational readiness or mission capability of the US Armed Forces," Hoffman said. "Senior military leaders are able to remain fully mission capable and perform their duties from an alternative work location." Meanwhile, Stephen Miller, senior advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, and several others have joined a growing list of individuals in the president's orbit known to have contracted COVID-19, which included his confidants, campaign and White House aides, allies on Capitol Hill, and journalists covering the White House. "Over the last 5 days I have been working remotely and self-isolating, testing negative every day through yesterday," Miller said in a statement. "Today, I tested positive for COVID-19 and am in quarantine." A screengrab from Katie Miller's Twitter account on May 26, 2020 shows that the communications director for U.S. Vice President Mike Pence tweeted "Back at work today after three NEGATIVE COVID tests," more than two weeks after contracting the coronavirus. (Xinhua) Miller's wife, Vice President Mike Pence's communications director Katie Miller, tested positive for COVID-19 in May. She tested negative on Tuesday morning and traveled with Pence to Salt Lake City, Utah for the 2020 vice presidential debate scheduled for Wednesday but left the trip "out of an abundance of caution" as soon as she learned of her husband's diagnosis, according to an official. Devin O'Malley, Pence's press secretary, tweeted Tuesday evening that the vice president had tested negative again in the afternoon. "Vice President Mike Pence is encouraged to go about his normal activities and does not need to quarantine," according to a memo written by his doctor. Democrats are demanding more information and transparency from the White House around details of recent events that may have led to the infection of Trump and others. "The Trump White House's opaque, secretive handling of its super-spreader event is a public health threat," Senate Minority Leader and New York Democrat Chuck Schumer tweeted. "The outbreak which hospitalized Pres. Trump and infected numerous WH staff, 3 Senators, and more has yet to be fully contained." A day after returning to the White House following a three-day hospitalization for COVID-19, Trump, who continues to receive treatment, has reported no symptoms, White House physician Sean Conley said in his memo Tuesday. The Marine One carrying U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Oct. 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) "He had a restful first night at home, and today he reports no symptoms. Vital signs and physical exam remain stable, with an ambulatory oxygen saturation level of 95-97 percent," Conley wrote. "Overall he continues to do extremely well." Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning he was feeling "great" and looking forward to the next debate with 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in Miami, Florida on Oct. 15. Hours earlier, Republicans again sought to downplay COVID-19 by comparing it to flu, which was later hidden by Twitter behind a label stating that it violated its rules "about spreading misleading and potentially harmful information" related to the virus. Trump and Biden met for their first encounter in the 2020 race in Cleveland, Ohio on Sept. 29, two days before the incumbent's diagnosis. The presidential candidates did not shake hands that night, while there was a distance between their podiums with neither wearing masks on stage. Biden has undergone four COVID-19 tests since Oct. 2 with all results returning negative, according to his campaign team. Speaking to reporters after a campaign stop in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Tuesday evening, Biden said the next debate should not be held if Trump still has the virus. "I think if he still has COVID, we shouldn't have a debate," Biden, who's leading his rival in national and battleground state polls, said. "I'm not sure what President Trump is all about now. I don't know what his status is. I'm looking forward to being able to debate him, but I just hope all the protocols are followed." It is unclear if Trump, who may remain contagious, will be healthy enough to attend the matchup, as his doctors have warned he isn't out of the woods yet. Aged 74 and clinically obese, the president is at a higher risk of serious complications from the virus that has infected over 7.5 million people and killed more than 210,000 in the United States. 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Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws 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 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. 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. The charade was sustained through the remaining 16 months of Wilsons presidency. It began on Sept. 25, 1919, in Pueblo, Colorado, where Wilson was campaigning for his pet project, a League of Nations that would prevent reruns of the recent World War I. The peace treaty, in which the league was incorporated, had run into formidable opposition in the U.S. Senate. 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 Airports Council International (ACI) World and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have made a joint call for a globally-consistent approach to testing international passengers as an alternative to quarantine measures. The global shut down of air transport as a result of Covid-19 travel restrictions has had a catastrophic impact on employment. Some 4.8 million industry jobs have been lost or are under threat. Governments must cooperate to remove quarantine restrictions and restart air travel. A systematic approach to Covid-19 testing will provide an effective way to give governments the confidence to re-open borders without quarantine. The aviation industry, focused on the health and safety of passengers and their employees, has worked with the International Civil Aviation Organizations Council Aviation Recovery Taskforce (CART), which included the World Health Organization, to agree and implement a layered approach to health measures that will enable safe operations amid the Covid-19 crisis. As the CART reconvenes this week ACI and IATA emphasized that a systematic approach to testing must be the key focus. Both associations call for an internationally agreed and recognized approach to testing passengers during the travel process that is fast, practical, accurate, low-cost, easy-to-use and supported by public health authorities. Airports and airlines are united in the view that a consistent approach to testing passengers will help to restore the confidence of passengers, avoid border closures, and remove cumbersome quarantine measures which are hampering the genuine efforts of the aviation industry to recover, ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira said. This will better foster recovery among airports, airlines and the travel and tourism sectors, thereby protecting jobs and providing the economic and social benefits that aviation delivers to the local, national, and global communities it serves. IATAs Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said borders must be reopened without quarantine. Systematic testing is the key to restoring connectivity. Thats critical because millions of jobs depend aviation. And millions more travellers want and need to reconnect with family, take a hard-earned vacation or support their international business needs. We must learn to live with this disease and that includes safely restoring the freedom to travel. Already we have measures in place to ensure safe journeys through ICAOs CART recommendations, , said de Juniac. And trials around the world are helping us to demonstrate that we have effective testing technology that can be efficiently integrated into the travel process. We count on ICAOs leadership to bring governments into agreement on an implementation plan so that aviation can reconnect people and economies. We need to do this with speed. Each day of delay puts more jobs at risk. TradeArabia News Service Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 10:19:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BUENOS AIRES, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Argentina should improve testing and contact tracing to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the World Health Organization's regional office for the Americas suggested on Wednesday. "Argentina took good measures. It was one of the first countries to implement measures, to implement quarantines, and it took measures for the benefit of the population," said Marcos Espinal, director of the PAHO's Department of Communicable Diseases and Health Analysis, during a videoconference. While acknowledging the country's swift action, he pointed out that contact tracing system has been "the most difficult thing for Argentina," mainly in Greater Buenos Aires. "Perhaps that can be improved there," he said. "Argentina is doing everything possible. We have no doubt that there will come a time when the curve will be flattened, if we continue to apply the measures that are recommended," he said. This week, the country introduced the "Strategic Coronavirus Testing Mechanism in Argentina" for areas outside the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area, given the increase in COVID-19 cases in the interior of the country. The program aims to intensify support for the interior provinces by sending work teams and health supplies that will enable the expansion of field-testing capabilities. As of Wednesday, Argentina has reported 840,915 cases with 22,226 deaths from COVID-19. Enditem A Madrid court on Thursday struck down a national government order that imposed a partial lockdown in the Spanish capital and its suburbs, siding with regional officials who had resisted stricter measures against one of Europe's most worrying virus clusters. The judges said that travel restrictions in and out of the cities and other limitations might be necessary to fight the spread of the virus, but that under the current legal form they were violating residents' ``fundamental rights.'' Thursday's decision meant that police won't be able to fine people for leaving their municipalities without a justification. It also left 4.8 million residents in Madrid and nine suburban towns wondering whether it was appropriate to go away on a long weekend extended by Monday's national day celebration. Madrid's regional president, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, had appealed the national restrictions but asked for people to stay put while waiting for a new set of measures that she wanted to negotiate with central authorities and announce as early as Friday. Ayuso, who has argued that milder measures were already flattening the region's sharp infection curve, said she wanted ``the economy not to sink while we are fighting the virus.`` Restrictions not affected by the ruling include a six-person cap on gatherings and limits to restaurant, bar and shop capacity and opening hours. Madrid has been at the center of a political impasse between Spain's national and regional authorities that has irked many people, who see more partisan strategy taking place than real action against the pandemic. The two sides were meeting later Thursday. The region has a 14-day infection rate of 591 coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents, more than twice Spain's national average of 257 and five times the European average rate of 113 for the week ending Sept. 27. ``You can fight this government if you want, but let's first fight the virus,'' said Health Minister Salvador Illa, showing signs of exasperation at criticism by lawmakers. ``The virus is our common enemy.'' Madrid's high population density and the fact that it attracts workers from many surrounding areas ``make necessary to maintain a reinforced cooperation,'' he said. Spain controlled the first wave of the pandemic with a strict lockdown under a national state of emergency, but the Socialist-led government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez lost parliamentary support to extend the special measures at the end of June. That meant giving most powers to respond to pandemic to the country's 19 regional governments. Without a state of emergency, the response to outbreaks over the summer has varied region by region, and courts in different parts of the country have responded in different ways to similar restrictions. Popular Party chief Pablo Casado, the leader of Spain's conservative opposition that leads a coalition governing Madrid, offered to talk with the government about changing the law. ``Spain has no legal framework with a midway point between a state of emergency and arbitrary decisions not based on the law that then need to be approved by a court,'' he said. Casado also called for the health minister to step down for promoting measures that he claimed politically targeted the Madrid region. Thursday's developments only deepened the confusion among residents like Ana de la Calle, a high school teacher in Vallecas, one of the hardest-hit neighborhoods, who had cancelled plans for a three-day trip out of Madrid before the restrictions were nullified. ``Politicians are lurching following their own interests and people are paying the price for it,'' de la Calle said. Spain has the most confirmed coronavirus cases in the 27-nation European Union, at over 825,000, and has Europe's third-highest confirmed virus death toll of over 32,500 after Britain and Italy. Experts say numbers in all countries understate the true toll of the virus due to limited testing, missed cases, government concealment and other factors. Search Keywords: Short link: Members of "Coreyah," a gugak (traditional Korean music) crossover band, pose near their office in Mapo-gu, Seoul, Wednesday. From left are geomungo player Na Sun-jin, percussionist Kim Cho-rong, vocalist Ham Bo-young, guitarist Ko Jae-hyeon, wind instrument player Kim Dong-kun and percussionist Kyungyi. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk By Park Ji-won In July, Coreyah, a Korean gugak (traditional Korean music) crossover band, appeared in NPR's Tiny Desk, one of the most famous online live music series by NPR for both A-list musicians and emerging artists. They were the second group of Korean performers on the show after SsingSsing and before BTS. They played three gugak-inspired songs, which may not be familiar to most international listeners, including "Till the Dawn" with a Korean take on a jazzy 5/4 rhythmic cycle. Ham Bo-young, vocalist of the group, showed a skilled "minyo" vocal style folk singing harmoniously supported by other traditional and Western instruments. So far, they have received 67,000 views on YouTube with many positive comments from all over the world. One comment reads, "I don't understand what she says when she's singing but I'm able to vibe to their music." NPR wrote on Coreyah that "It's an uninhibited vision of Korean traditional music with some psychedelic rock, Balkan gypsy, even sounds from South America and Africa." Not many, including Coreyah itself, expected that the band could perform on an internationally famous show, as their music is somewhat experimental; the band describes themselves as a "South Korean psychedelic folk rock pop dance music group," even though many young artists are now bringing gugak elements into their music. "Being archived in the NPR series was just an honor for me as a musician. It is one of the craziest things that happened to me," Ko Jae-hyun, the guitarist of Coreyah, said during an interview with The Korea Times at the band's office in Mapo District, Seoul, Tuesday. "Bob Boilen, the director of the series who had an eye on us, contacted us through our U.S. agency After the series, we received a lot of interview requests," percussionist and Coreyah leader Kyungyi said. The appearance made headlines in the Korean media because it had taken three years for a Korean musician to appear on the show again after SsingSsing, a Korean gugak crossover rock band made the first appearance in 2017 and went on to enjoy international popularity after the appearance. SsingSsing's unprecedented drag queen fashion style and uniqueness in combining Korean traditional vocal and music elements with Western music was sensational; their video has attracted more than 5.5 million views on YouTube as of Oct. 7. The third group was K-pop sensation BTS on Sept. 21, whose video already received 17.5 million views in the same period. Coreyah performs in a concert in Seoul on Dec. 14. Courtesy of Plankton Music Coreyah performs in a concert in Seoul on Dec. 14. Courtesy of Plankton Music But fame did not come overnight. It took 10 years to build their career after spending four years in the U.S. and performing in 51 cities in 34 countries so far. Debuting in 2010 as a six-member project band, consisting of traditional and Western instrument players one vocalist, one wind instrument player, two percussionists, one guitarist and one geomungo player the group originally aimed to break barriers between traditional and popular music when there were very few doing so on the scene. The name of the group means "whale" in Korean and also sounds very much like "Korea" in English. Three musicians, percussionist Kyungyi, wind instrument player Kim Dong-kun and percussionist Kim Cho-rong are original members while Ham joined the band through an audition in 2016 and geumungo player Na Sun-jin and Ko joined the band in 2019. As they are paving a new experimental path in both indie and gugak musical areas, their four albums are all musically different. The first album "A Whale of a Time" put an emphasis on rock sounds while adopting traditional sounds and vocals. The second one "Songs of Our Ancestors" recreated the traditional minyo from reviewing archives of hundreds of traditional folk songs. The third album titled "Seoul Folks" expresses the ups and downs of life in Seoul through its lyrics. The fourth and latest album "Clap and Applause," released in July, focuses on clapping sounds based on traditional Korean rhythms. But what they prioritized the most in making the album was using traditional instruments and sounds with distinctly Korean rhythms, which differentiates them from other bands. Koreans are familiar with various traditional rhythms, but still it is very rare to hear them used in popular songs because they are difficult to perform. Even Leenalchi, one of the most famous gugak-inspired bands in Korea, is based on Western rhythms and doesn't feature any Korean traditional instruments in their music. "While making music, we realized that traditional instruments don't go well with Western popular musical rhythms, for example, like a 4/4 beat. The Korean instruments are best when performing traditional rhythms such as Jajinmori. And it has become our principle when making music," Kyungyi said. Ham, who majored in popular singing in college, joined the band out of curiosity. She was trained as a pop vocalist but had been honing her musical expression through the minyo singing style for four years since she joined the band to fulfill Coreyah's musical vision. "When we sing in the minyo style, we use our thoughts more than when we sing pop music. It is tough to introduce the style, but I think it makes Coreyah more unique," Ham said. But, as many traditional rhythms are inaccessible to the general public, it has been a task for them to express their music with an easier style for both musicians and audiences. So they picked some simple rhythms and made music with percussive clapping sounds, which became the theme of the fourth album, which also has psychedelic overtones, group members say. "I was looking for ways to better express our rhythms which are rooted in traditional music. While performing in overseas festivals, I witnessed that many artists from other countries use a lot of clapping in their shows. I thought clapping itself may be able to give a group vibe while making it easier for audiences to approach than playing only with instruments. So, we tried to introduce clapping sounds from the third album, which ended up becoming the entire theme of the fourth album too When we ask audiences to follow the rhythm with claps while performing, they found it difficult in the beginning. But it doesn't take long for them to resonate with our vibe. I think Coreyah's music is psychedelic in terms of giving transformative and shamanistic experiences through the sounds of Korean traditional folk music which somewhat focuses on mediating between being god and a human," Kyungyi said. "Psychedelic music transforms the perception of time and space by twisting sounds. Korean traditional instruments have the power to do so especially in opening the space, which is key in creating psychedelic music," daegeum player Kim Dong-kun said. Many shows have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but they are set to showcase experimental shows in the near future. The band is preparing to perform in "Fantasia 1950" in December where they select some exotic old Korean songs from the 1950s and recreate them into something new. It has been not easy for the band to continue its musical activities for 10 years, but the members are poised to keep moving to come up with unique music which can satisfy both audiences and themselves. "It took 10 years to release these four albums. We found the best ways to support each other in music and life. So we are so excited to make our fifth and more albums in the future I hope that people remember us as the musicians who created the Coreyah genre," daegeum player Kim Dong-kun said. "It is hard to sell albums these days. But releasing good albums is the job of a musician; we spent the last 10 releasing albums. We want to continue to release good albums and performing in front of our audiences," Kyungyi said. Six-year-old Ezra holds up a drawing for his first grade Zoom class. (Courtney Patterson) As most public and private school students in California continue to study from home, a majority of voters say the states schools are not prepared to offer high-quality distance learning, although they are more positive about their own local schools, according to a poll released Thursday. Parents worry that if children are at home for the rest of the year, it will result in learning loss for all students, but especially for the most economically vulnerable who suffer from hunger or housing insecurity. Low-income parents, in particular, worry that prolonged distance learning will mean they wont be able to get back to work, according to a poll commissioned by EdSource, a nonprofit education news organization. The poll was conducted online between Aug. 29 and Sept. 7 by the FM3 Research polling firm and surveyed 834 registered voters. At the time of the poll, the school year had already begun for three-quarters of the 200 parents or guardians surveyed. One major issue that has emerged since the pandemic upended education nationwide is how to motivate children when they arent in the classroom and dont have in-person contact with teachers. These concerns are shared by parents. Four out of five say the biggest challenge of distance learning is sustaining their childrens interest to study. Parents also worry about insufficient instructional time with a teacher and say its hard for children to work on their own, as well as understand assignments. Many times, my granddaughter comes to my room to have a conversation, said Anita Flemington, whose granddaughter attends school at the Pasadena Unified School District. I ask her, Are you on break?, and she replies, No. Fully 75% of registered voters, including parents, say that distance learning is worse than in-class instruction. A major reason parents hold such a dim view of distance learning stems from their experience in the spring when districts quickly had to make the transition. Just over half of parents rated their childs spring experience with distance learning as not too effective or not at all effective. Only 7% rated it as very effective, with another 27% rating it as somewhat effective. Story continues One-third of parents were unable to cite anything positive about their experience with distance learning in the spring. As they brace for most children being at home this fall, the majority of parents say it will be difficult for them to manage distance learning for their child this year. More than 70% worry about learning loss for all or most children, as well as the lack of social interaction with other children. The greatest concern, shared by 80% of poll participants, is the impact of learning loss on vulnerable children, including those experiencing hunger, homelessness or upheaval at home. However, when it comes to their own schools, about half of parents say they feel their schools are prepared, compared with 40% who feel they are unprepared. When asked about strategies they might use to help manage distance learning, for the most part, parents seem stumped. Nearly half of parents say they dont know any strategies to help their children. One in four parents say they are considering moving their child from public school to a private, parochial or charter school as a result of pandemic-related issues. I moved my seventh-grader to a charter school, which is something I would never have considered pre-pandemic, said Caryn Cherry, a Riverside Unified School District parent. He was completely falling under the radar with distance learning. The poll also showed a majority of California voters support Gov. Gavin Newsoms handling of education issues, including his executive order issued over the summer requiring distance learning in schools that are located in counties on the states COVID-19 monitoring list. Two-thirds of voters support the governor on the distance learning issue, with 53% strongly supporting him and 29% opposing his stance. Parents give Newsom slightly lower ratings in his overall handling of education during the pandemic, and appear divided on their level of support, with 49% expressing approval and 47% disapproval. Louis Freedberg is executive director of EdSource, a nonprofit, nonpartisan journalism organization reporting on education in California. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Freedom fighter and former commissioner Azharul Islam Azhar along with others offering Munajat at a Doa Mahfil held recently at the Madrasa of Jamtala Ferdous Huzur in Narayanganj town. Zelensky during his visit to London notes need to provide Ukraine with MAP Kuleba During his official visit to London, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine needs NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) and that membership in the Alliance will contribute to Ukraine's security and defense, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said. "We talked about NATO separately. Our president clearly said that Ukraine needs a Membership Action Plan and that NATO membership will contribute to Ukrainian security and defense," Kuleba said in a live broadcast on his Facebook page on Thursday. Some have more dollars than sense, they say, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can easily find investors. But as Warren Buffett has mused, 'If you've been playing poker for half an hour and you still don't know who the patsy is, you're the patsy.' When they buy such story stocks, investors are all too often the patsy. If, on the other hand, you like companies that have revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM). Now, I'm not saying that the stock is necessarily undervalued today; but I can't shake an appreciation for the profitability of the business itself. Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, but time is often a friend of the profitable company, especially if it is growing. Check out our latest analysis for PulteGroup PulteGroup's Earnings Per Share Are Growing. If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price will eventually follow. Therefore, there are plenty of investors who like to buy shares in companies that are growing EPS. It certainly is nice to see that PulteGroup has managed to grow EPS by 33% per year over three years. As a general rule, we'd say that if a company can keep up that sort of growth, shareholders will be smiling. I like to take a look at earnings before interest and (EBIT) tax margins, as well as revenue growth, to get another take on the quality of the company's growth. Not all of PulteGroup's revenue this year is revenue from operations, so keep in mind the revenue and margin numbers I've used might not be the best representation of the underlying business. PulteGroup maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 4.7% to US$11b. That's a real positive. In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings, and revenue, over time. For finer detail, click on the image. Story continues In investing, as in life, the future matters more than the past. So why not check out this free interactive visualization of PulteGroup's forecast profits? Are PulteGroup Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders? Since PulteGroup has a market capitalization of US$13b, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a large percentage of shares. But we are reassured by the fact they have invested in the company. Given insiders own a small fortune of shares, currently valued at US$67m, they have plenty of motivation to push the business to succeed. That's certainly enough to make me think that management will be very focussed on long term growth. It's good to see that insiders are invested in the company, but are remuneration levels reasonable? Well, based on the CEO pay, I'd say they are indeed. For companies with market capitalizations over US$8.0b, like PulteGroup, the median CEO pay is around US$11m. PulteGroup offered total compensation worth US$9.2m to its CEO in the year to . That seems pretty reasonable, especially given its below the median for similar sized companies. While the level of CEO compensation isn't a huge factor in my view of the company, modest remuneration is a positive, because it suggests that the board keeps shareholder interests in mind. It can also be a sign of a culture of integrity, in a broader sense. Is PulteGroup Worth Keeping An Eye On? Given my belief that share price follows earnings per share you can easily imagine how I feel about PulteGroup's strong EPS growth. If you need more convincing beyond that EPS growth rate, don't forget about the reasonable remuneration and the high insider ownership. This may only be a fast rundown, but the takeaway for me is that PulteGroup is worth keeping an eye on. What about risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for PulteGroup you should know about. Although PulteGroup certainly looks good to me, I would like it more if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, too, then this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you're looking for. Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction. 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. 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. Taylor PikkarainenBy KATIE KINDELAN, ABC News (NEW YORK) -- Taylor Pikkarainen, a traveling nurse, spent over two months this spring on assignment in New Jersey helping to save the lives of patients with COVID-19. Pikkarainen, 27, then returned to her home state of Minnesota to save the life of a young boy by donating her kidney. "It just feels really great that hes healthy and happy," Pikkarainen told Good Morning America of Bodie, who will turn 2 in December. "It's amazing and I'm very, very grateful." Pikkarainen found out about Bodie's need for a kidney earlier this year through her sister-in-law, who is a close friend of Bodie's mom, Gloria Hall. Bodie was born with congenital nephrotic syndrome, a life-threatening condition that occurs when your body discharges too much protein in urine, according to M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Masonic Childrens Hospital, where Bodie and Pikkarainen underwent the transplant in July. One of Bodie's four older siblings also has the syndrome and required a kidney transplant five years ago; Hall was the donor. Because Hall had already donated a kidney and her husband, Bodie's father, was not a match for their son, the family put out a plea for a kidney donor. Once Pikkarainen heard about the need, she knew almost immediately she wanted to be Bodie's donor. "I was sitting there and just quickly looked up the side effects for me as a donor, for giving up a kidney," she said. "Theres always a risk with surgery but there was no increased risk for kidney disease or kidney failure, having one kidney versus two." "And within half an hour I was signing up," she continued. Hall, who lives in a town neighboring Pikkarainen, said she remembers the exact moment she received a call "out of the blue" in February that her son finally had a kidney donor. "I guess the biggest feeling was ... of relief because it really was the thing hanging over our heads," said Hall, who did not know at the time that Pikkarainen was the donor. "We knew it was the point where he needed to have the surgery and we obviously couldnt have the surgery without a kidney donor." Bodie spent one month in the hospital after his birth and has had to undergo frequent infusions to help boost his kidney function. He has also relied on a feeding tube since the age of seven months, according to Hall. Pikkarainen said she thought about remaining anonymous as Bodie's donor, but then decided to tell the Halls by sending a letter and a stuffed animal for Bodie. She also met Bodie in person for the first time a few days before the transplant, which was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. "His nephrectomy was supposed to be in March, right around the start of COVID," said Hall, referring to the surgery that had to be done to remove Bodie's kidneys before the transplant. "And they told us they had to delay the surgery." "The hospital basically shut down all non-emergency surgeries," she said. "For us, worrying about Bodie and his health, it was frustrating, but at the same time, nobody at that time knew how the whole situation was going to go." Bodie's nephrectomy was rescheduled for May and he underwent eight weeks of dialysis, which involved being hooked up to an IV for four hours at a time four times a week, according to Hall. On July 9, Pikkarainen's 27th birthday, Bodie received her donated kidney in a transplant procedure that lasted around six hours. "It's hard to put it in words," Hall said of her family's gratitude to Pikkarainen. "We couldnt really believe it, honestly, that someone we hardly know and not even a family member would be so willing to give one of their organs." "Its the most amazing gift I think that you can give somebody," she said. Pikkarainen said she was discharged from the hospital after just three days and had a good recovery, adding that she hopes sharing her story will help inspire other people to be organ donors. Across the United States, more than 109,000 people are on the organ transplant waiting list, with the majority in need of kidneys, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). "Id never had surgery before or been hospitalized so I didnt know what to expect," she said. "I thought it was going to be harder than it was, actually." "I would 100% do it again," she added. Bodie is recovering well too and took his first steps after the transplant, according to Hall. The family also expects Bodie will soon be able to have his feeding tube removed. He, like his older sister with the same condition, will stay on an anti-rejection medication for the rest of his life but is otherwise expected to lead a normal, healthy life, according to Hall. "Looking at old pictures, you can tell he looked pale and had this sunken look in his eyes, which we didnt even realize because thats just how he looked," she said of Bodie. "Now you can tell he just feels so much better." "Were really grateful that she stepped up and followed through and did such a nice thing," Hall said of Pikkarainen, to whom she sends near daily text updates on Bodie's improvement. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Indore : Good news for all science and sky enthusiast, the first eclipse of the year 2017 is bound to take palace on February 11, early in the morning. The cherry on the top is that it would be visible from India too. Briefing about this astronomical phenomenon, superintendent of the government-run Jiwaji Observatory, Rajendra Prasad Gupt said that the first 'penumbral lunar eclipse will begin on 4:02:02 AM on Saturday till 8:25:05 AM. He also said that this eclipse will be visible in India. Adding further details on the eclipse he said that the intensity of moons brightness would lessen and it would become hazy during the eclipse. Also read: Newly discovered Earth-sized planet Proxima b unlikely to host life: NASA Notably, a penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and the Moon align almost in a straight line. The Earth blocks some of the Suns light from directly reaching the Moons surface, and partially covers the Moon with the outer part of its shadow, also known as the penumbra, Gupt said. (With inputs from PTI) For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. John Thrower was devoted to his work as a municipal bus driver for the city of Richmond, Virginia. But he was afraid of driving during the pandemic. This summer, his wife Tracey Thrower said, he worried not all passengers carefully followed the transit company's mandatory face mask requirement. He said I can catch this, Im scared. Its scary going to work but I know I have to do this, Tracey said. In mid-August, after working a 14-hour shift, Thrower coughed through the night and woke up in the morning without an appetite. I checked his temperature and it was 101 then 102, Tracey said. I said youre going to the hospital and that was the last time I was able to touch him. Throwers five-week battle with Covid-19 ended Sept. 23, two days before Traceys 54th birthday. He was 49. Thrower is survived by his wife, Tracey; his son, JaiShawn, and his step-children, Shonte, Lavon and Bria. John and Tracey Thrower. (Courtesy Tracey Thrower) Richmond was Throwers home town. He spent several years cooking at nursing homes after graduating from Armstrong High School. In Nov. 2011 he was working at a sandwich shop when his giant smile caught Traceys eye, they chatted about Thanksgiving. She agreed to give him her number. A few weeks later, the pair celebrated Thanksgiving together. Usually I never give my phone number to anybody, but at the time I did, said Tracey. And weve been together ever since. They married in 2014. That same year Thrower applied to work as a bus operator with the Greater Richmond Transit Company. He took the job hoping to provide for his new wife, said his 27-year-old son from a previous relationship, JaiShawn, who is a flight attendant. A doting father, Thrower sought out JaiShawns advice before the transit test. He was asking me how I study when I went to school and I just said repetition, read it all day, said JaiShawn. Thats what we did. I took that book and asked him questions and that man was getting them all right and ended up getting the job. Story continues Thrower embraced all aspects of the job, including the staff-enhancement activities like competing in pumpkin decorating contests and annual driving competitions. Everyone liked him. When drivers left the company, Thrower would call them multiple times a week just to check in, said his friend and fellow bus driver Randy McQuinn, who is himself isolating after testing positive for Covid-19. Im talking about 10, 15, 20, 30 people that hes calling every week...who does that but John? said McQuinn. Outside of work, Thrower enjoyed traveling and singing karaoke on cruise ships to September, Earth, Wind & Fires 1978 hit. John sounded horrible, but he would be up there giving his all and he would be having a ball with it. We would be laughing and he would be up there laughing while singing karaoke, said McQuinn. John was never a self conscious person. He did not mind having fun for everybody. He put in long hours of overtime with the company which led to his proudest accomplishment: the purchase of a 3-bedroom home. Throwers wife fears it was work that endangered her husband. Thrower was one of 24 Greater Richmond Transit Company employees and contractors to test positive for the virus since the pandemic began. A spokesperson for the transit company told NBC News that contact tracing has not indicated that employees contracted the virus at work. In a press release, the bus company's CEO Julie Timm mourned Thrower saying, "This loss to GRTC hits directly into our hearts and reminds us all how deadly this disease can be, and how all of us are susceptible." Thrower was the first, and thus far only, GRTC employee to lose his life to the virus. I didnt see this coming and for the whole month he was in there on that ventilator, I was hoping and praying, said JaiShawn. I just want to bring awareness and let people know this is serious. These days, Tracey is left reminiscing about his grin, the one that drew her to him in the first place. "I'll remember..that smile always just lit up the room," said Tracey. "It really lights up the room. Ataur Rahman tests positive for Covid-19 Entertainment Report : Ekushey Award winner thespian Ataur Rahman, known as one of the renowned and well-respected names in the theatre and cultural arena of Bangladesh, has tested positive for Coronavirus. The 79 years old veteran actor has recently been exploring the symptoms of the virus in his body and upon testing, the report came out positive. Cultural activist, politician and General Secretary of Bangladesh Hajong Youth Association Sujan Hajong confirmed this news on a Facebook post on Tuesday. This was further confirmed by Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation Secretary General Kamal Bayazid, who informed this correspondent about the thespian's ongoing health condition. Ata Bhai (Ataur Rahman) is now admitted and receiving treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College University (BSMMU) hospital in the capital. Hope he will recover soon, Bayazid said. Born in Noakhali in 1941, Ataur Rahman completed his Masters in Soil Science from the University of Dhaka in 1965. He served as the founder general secretary of Nagorik Natya Sampradaya and also an honourable member and former Chairman of Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation. He has directed over 35 original plays and translated foreign plays including Galileo, Payer Awaj Pawa Jai, Irsha, Rokto Korobi, Opekkhoman, Banglar Mati Banglar Jol, Narigon, Waiting for Godot, Hamlet and more. He is also a renowned actor in television and cinema, and an Honorary Fellow of Bangla Academy. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Market Research Future (MRFR) published its latest report specialty papers market 2020, states that across the review period (2017 and 2023), the global specialty papers market size can touch USD 28.7 Bn by 2023. The customization feature of specialty papers is the prime factor for the expansion of the speciality paper market. The easy availability of chemicals that converted normal paper into specialty paper can support its market expansion. MRFR findings reveals that the world specialty papers market can thrive at 5.7% CAGR on the conclusion of the assessment period. The prominent factors that boost the market are rise in the trend of online shopping and high for specialty paper in the cash rich food & beverages sector. On the analysis of the specialty papers market, MRFR designed the report that offers insights on factors that can affect the expansion of the market. Historical aspects and forecast revenue are evaluated to predict the market size. On observing the major players of the market, the report covers the competitive landscape and contribution of joint ventures. Mergers and acquisitions, research and developments (R & D), new product developments, and strategic alliances are studied to estimate the market potential. Market Segment The world specialty papers market segment study is based on raw material, application, and type. The application-based segments of the specialty papers market are packaging & labelling, printing and writing, building & construction, industrial, and others. The raw materials based segments of the specialty papers market are additives, pulp, fillers & binders, and others. The types based segments of the market are flexible packaging papers, release liner paper, decor paper, printing paper, masking tape, and others. Regional Analysis Europe is known to head the world specialty papers market. The expansion of the F&B sector can prompt the rise of EU specialty papers market in the study period. Europe is likely to contribute considerably to the rise of the specialty papers global market revenue. France, the United Kingdom (UK), Germany, and Spain followed by the rest of Europe are potential producers of specialty papers. Thus, leading the regional market. Through 2017 and 2023, the rise of the specialty papers market in Asia Pacific is expected to be highest. Urbanization is observed to produce several growth prospects, thus rise in demand for specialty papers can boost Asia Pacific specialty papers market growth. The specialty papers market in regions, such as China, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, and India, followed by the rest of the APAC region. In North America, the specialty papers market can rise significantly due to moderate industrialization. Canada and the United States of America (USA) are leading the regional market. Modern technologies and firm tech base allow the smooth run of different industries, plus the high demand for specialty papers can prompt the market growth. Key Players MRFR listed key players functioning in the specialty papers global market. They are Griff Paper and Film (USA), Domtar Corporation (Canada), Kanzaki Specialty Papers Inc. (USA), International Paper Company (USA), Munksjo Corporation (Sweden), Mondi Plc (Austria), Robert Wilson Paper Corporation (USA), Sappi Limited (South Africa), Nippon Paper Group, Inc. (Japan), and Stora Enso Oyj (Finland) among others. MRFR depended on industrial expertise, origin, product line, regional branches, and key innovations to identify these well-established specialty papers dealers. The report supplies indispensable data on the global market of specialty papers. Powers that influence the specialty papers market are elaborated and sustained by effective evidences, along with rational justifications. Key roles played by marketers that can define the specialty papers market progress are broadly explained in the report. FOR MORE DETAILS https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/specialty-papers-market-2953 Wadsworth said the Council of State's role in the decision-making process during the pandemic "should be focused on public safety and keeping North Carolinians fed, sheltered and healthy." She said she would be guided by science and experts. Agriculture, business and marijuana Wadsworth said that bridging the urban and rural divide is central to her platform, and that rural North Carolina has been left behind. She sees new crop opportunities for small farmers as being part of the solution, but also issues outside of agriculture: broadband and Medicaid expansion. She grew up on a farm and still works on her family farm, but gives produce away instead of selling it. Hemp farming regulation was a sticking point in the debate over the state legislature's Farm Act. Wadsworth wants to fix what she says is a testing backlog of hemp crops. Beyond hemp, Wadsworth wants to legalize marijuana, including for recreational use. She said it's not a question of if, but when, the law changes and wants the state to be ready. She wants to make sure that small farmers benefit and is considering an acreage allotment, which limits the amount of land you can use, so more people could participate in the market. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 13:48:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MAIMANA, Afghanistan, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Eight militants have been confirmed dead as clash erupted in Khwaja Sabzposh district of Afghanistan's northern Faryab province on Thursday, a provincial police statement released here said. Taliban militants attacked security checkpoints in Anabig village of Khwaja Sabzposh district in the wee hours of Thursday and police returned fire killing eight insurgents on the spot and wounding five others, the statement said. The militants fled away and one civilian villager sustained injury in the crossfire, the statement said, adding the security forces would continue to chase the insurgents. Taliban militants who are active in parts of Faryab province have yet to make comment. Enditem New Delhi: Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday released Common ten Point Program in Lucknow. PM's strategy is distraction, when he can't answer questions, then he starts distracting; truth is that in two and a half years, he has failed, said Rahul Gandhi. Modi failed to fulfill his employment promise. He promised that 2 crore youth should be given employment, but only 1 lakhs were given job opportunity, Rahul added. Here are the Live updates: #Loan waivers to farmers. #Rs 1,000 monthly pension to over 1 crore poor families. #33 per cent reservation to women candidates in government jobs and 50 per cent reservations to woman in panchayat and state elections. #Free cycle to all meritorious students of class 9th and 12th #Smart phones, skill development, free cycles and homes for the poor among key points in SP-Cong joint programme. #Skill development to over 20 lakhs students Dont be emotional in these Election days. If PM drive on Agra-Lucknow Expressway then he will too vote for Samajwadi party, said Akhilesh Yadav. ALSO READ | Uttar Pradesh Elections 2017 Live: 10.56% voting in first phase of UP polls till 9 am For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. High intensity interval training is really hard work, if it's done correctly. But research shows that the effort pays off when it comes to your health. Credit: Erlend Lanke Solbu/NRK Five years of high-intensity interval training increased quality of life, improved fitness and might very well have extended the lives of participants in the Generation 100 study. "First of all, I have to say that exercise in general seems to be good for the health of the elderly. And our study results show that on top of that, training regularly at high intensity has an extra positive effect," says Dorthe Stensvold. Stensvold is a professor in the Cardiac Exercise Research Group at NTNU and has been looking forward to telling us the results from the Generation 100 study for a while now. Researchers, healthcare professionals and individuals around the world have been waiting for answers to the question: Can exercise really give older people a longer and healthier life? Generation 100 is the first major study that can tell us that, and Stensvold has encouraging news. "Among most 70-77-year-olds in Norway, 90% will survive the next five years. In the Generation 100 study, more than 95% of the 1,500 participants survived!" The study results have been published in the BMJ. Training intensity decisive The Generation 100 study is a cause-and-effect study. This means that all participants were divided completely randomly into three different training groups when the study started in 2012. One group was assigned to do high-intensity training intervals according to the 44 method twice a week, while group two was instructed to train at a steady, moderate intensity for 50 minutes two days a week. The participants could choose whether they wanted to train on their own or participate in group training with instructors. The third groupthe control groupwas advised to exercise according to the Norwegian health authorities' recommendations. This group was not offered organized training under the auspices of Generation 100, but was called in for regular health checks and fitness assessments. "Both physical and mental quality of life were better in the high-intensity group after five years than in the other two groups. High-intensity interval training also had the greatest positive effect on fitness," says Stensvold. But does this kind of exercise prolong life to a greater extent than moderate exercise? "In the interval training group, 3% of the participants had died after five years. The percentage was 6% in the moderate group. The difference is not statistically significant, but the trend is so clear that we believe the results give good reason to recommend high-intensity training for the elderly," says Stensvold. The video below provides instructions for the 44 method that the participants in the high-intensity group followed in the Generation 100 study. Active control group Among the participants in the control group, 4.5% had died after five years. "One challenge in interpreting our results has been that the participants in the control group trained more than we envisioned in advance. One in five people in this group trained regularly at high intensity and ended up, on average, doing more high-intensity training than the participants in the moderate group," says Stensvold. This could also explain why they ended up in between the other two groups in terms of survival. "You could say that this is a disadvantage, as far as the research goes. But it may tell us that an annual fitness and health check is all that's needed to motivate older people to become more physically active. In that case, it's really good news," says Stensvold. One of the earliest volunteers in the Generation 100 study, Sverre Kirksther, runs on a treadmill so that yvind Eian, a masters student in exercise physiology, can measure his maximal oxygen uptake, or VO2max. Credit: Nancy Bazilchuk/NTNU Healthy participants As to the question of whether this study offers definitive proof that exercise prolongs life, Stensvold says, "I'd like to answer with a clear and unequivocal yes, because we believe that this is true. But training is probably not the only reason why so few of the Generation 100 participants died compared to what's expected in this age group." The people who signed up to participate in Generation 100 probably had high training motivation to begin with. They also started with a relatively high level of activity, and most of them considered themselves to be in good health. Stensvold points out that the participants in all three of the Generation 100 study groups managed to maintain their fitness levels throughout the five-year period. That's quite unique for people in this age group, according to physician and Ph.D. candidate Jon Magne Letnes. "Normally we see a drop in fitness of 20% over a ten-year period for people in their 70s. The fact that the participants in Generation 100 have managed to maintain their strong fitness levels from start to finish indicates that all three groups were more physically active than is usual for this age group," he says. Decreases in fitness linked to health risks Letnes, who like Stensvold is affiliated with CERG at NTNU, refers to his own study which was published two weeks ago. It contains information on 1500 healthy men and women who tested their fitness level twice, at ten years apart, in connection with the Nord-Trndelag Health Study (Hunt3). "We found that age has the least effect on fitness level for people who exercise regularly at high intensity. This group had a drop in fitness of 5% over ten years. By comparison, fitness levels dropped by 9% individuals who exercised regularly but not at high intensity. Those who were physically inactive lost as much as 16% of their physical conditioning over ten years," says Letnes. The decline in fitness was greater among the elderly than in younger people. Those who maintained their conditioning best also had the healthiest status when it came to risk factors for lifestyle diseases and poor health. "Blood pressure, waist measurement, cholesterol and resting heart rate increased less in people who maintained their conditioning than in those who had a larger drop in fitness figures," Letnes says. Stensvold believes that the results from Letnes' research support the most important findings in the Generation 100 study. "In Generation 100, the high-intensity training increased participants' conditioning the most after the first, third and fifth years. We know that better fitness is closely linked to lower risk of premature death, so this improvement may explain why the high-intensity group apparently had the best survival rate," she says. She concludes by saying, "By high intensity we mean training that gets you really sweaty and out of breath. Now our hope is that the national recommendations for physical activity will be modified to encourage older people even more strongly to do high intensity trainingeither as their only form of exercise or to supplement more moderate training." Explore further Exercise intensity not linked to mortality risk in older adults, finds trial More information: Dorthe Stensvold et al. Effect of exercise training for five years on all cause mortality in older adultsthe Generation 100 study: randomized controlled trial, BMJ (2020). Dorthe Stensvold et al. Effect of exercise training for five years on all cause mortality in older adultsthe Generation 100 study: randomized controlled trial,(2020). DOI: 10.1136/bmj.m3485 Jon Magne Letnes et al. Age-related change in peak oxygen uptake and change of cardiovascular risk factors. The HUNT Study, Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.pcad.2020.09.002 Journal information: British Medical Journal (BMJ) Photo credit: Aaron Brown From Road & Track Before my latest rally last weekend, I spent two days drowning in rust particles underneath my latest vehicle purchase, a 2003 Chevy Silverado 2500. The big Chevy had a clean bill of health when I bought it (at least, I thought it did). That didn't last long. The Silverado needed an emergency fix to transport myself, my crew, and my 1995 BMW M3 rally car 1000 miles from upstate New York to the rally in Missouri. Photo credit: Aaron Brown Leading up to the rally, I drove hours to source a replacement for the 2500's slipping transmission, slept at my shop while thrashing through the night, then called in the big gunsmy two more mechanically-adept friendsto help. I failed. The 4L80e trans wouldn't come off the engine, no matter how many gallons of PB Blaster we doused over the frozen bolts. On top of that, the truck lacked a tow hitch. My plans to obtain a hitch and a trailer also fell apart. I felt ready to raise the white flag on the whole race. Nothing was coming together. Especially not my 2500. This sent our backup plan into full effect. Photo credit: Aaron Brown The original plan was to leave for the American Rally Association's Show Me Rally in Potosi, Missouri on the Wednesday morning before the race. On the books, that's about a 16-hour drive from my home in New York. Ideally, my 2500 crew cab would've been set to go, along with an open single-car trailer for my E36 M3 rally car. The truck would be spacious enough to carry myself, co-driver Brian Silvestro, and two crew members to the rally. With the trans slipping and no trailer attached, our best-laid plans were already spoiled. The backup plan was a bit messier. We pronounced the Silverado dead around midnight on Wednesday, leaving us effectively stranded. We still needed to get the M3, our crew, and a yet-to-be-found backup truck and trailer to Missouri. We didn't have any sort of normal, reliable vehicle to lean on for any of that. The M3 itself was over an hour west of our location. Our crew was an hour south. Our backup hauler, Road & Track's long-term Ram 1500 Rebel EcoDiesel and our gorgeous Aerovault enclosed car trailer, were about 12 hours south, in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can see the problem. Story continues Photo credit: Aaron Brown First up: Brian and I loaded into his recently purchased BMW 325ix E30 and took off for the M3. We made it two miles up the road through torrential rain before the E30's alternator belt exploded. Back to the shop we went, swapping for the only other car we had access to: our untested, barely driven Spec E30 325ix race car. With a hastily thrown-in passenger seat and no heat, defroster, or windows, the car nonetheless carried us to the E36. At that point, it was almost 4 a.m. Brian immediately swapped into my 2017 Subaru WRX STI and turned around for the two-hour-plus drive back to New York City to scoop up our crew and his gear. He was going to drive the STI to Knoxville, and I would meet him there after a 12-hour drive in my M3 rally car. After a brief mid-morning nap, I swapped out the M3's gravel tires for street rubber and pointed south for Tennessee. Brian, the crew, and I rendezvoused on I-81 just north of the Pennsylvania-Maryland border around noon. Aside from the ear-bleed strain of driving a race car down the interstate, the rally was coming together. Everything was fine. Not normal, but fine. Photo credit: Skyler Carkhuff By 9:30 p.m., we made it to Road & Track senior editor (and keeper of the Aerovault) Zach Bowman's place. I flicked on the bright LED lights inside the trailer and loaded up the race car. Finally. None of these logistic hurdles would've been necessary if I hadn't tried to buy a "reliable" race car hauler for $2400. Photo credit: Skyler Carkhuff After strapping the M3 down in the Aerovault and heading out in the Ram, everything became so much easier. No worrying about what might break on the M3 while driving to the event; no sweating a recently-installed transmission of unknown quality. None of that. Captaining the Ram-and-Aerovault combo was the complete opposite of the circus I had planned. I was not upset. Photo credit: Aaron Brown I've personally put 17,000 miles of asphalt under this truck. I'm addicted to it. As I've written before, the truck is loaded with featuresnot stupid gizmos, but actually useful optionsthat make it a dream to live with. I've happily accepted any opportunity to drive this thing, because the experience is so carefree and pleasant. It's hard to say which of the $71,000 Ram's options is my favorite, but the 12-inch Uconnect infotainment screen is way up there. That's because of its split-screen CarPlay function, which allows you to run a navigation app like Waze up top and show current music information below it. You can even use two different mobile devices across the split screen. Total bliss. For rally car hauling, the Rebel was even more crucial. Before the competition begins, drivers do reconnaissance runs down the rally stage at low speeds to note conditions and obstacles. The rules dictate you're not allowed to use your race car for this "recce" (reconnaissance) run, which leads to many drivers putting rental cars through major abuse for their practice runs. Our crew-cab Ram, equipped with 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac tires and height-adjustable air suspension, is the ideal setup. During recce, we can haul our full crew and gear, with no concerns about getting stranded. Photo credit: Aaron Brown Towing with the Aerovault is as easy at it gets. I've never felt more confident pulling a trailer. Crafted by racer and design legend Peter Brockwho shaped the original Corvette Sting Ray and the Cobra Daytona coupethe sleek trailer cuts through the air with ease and shrugs off crosswinds that would send a slab-sided trailer way off course. The trailer's N-rated tires, safe up to 87 mph, handled my lead-footed driving without complaint. The Aerovault is simply the nicest towing experience I've ever had. At the end of a long race weekend you want nothing more than an easy ride home. Our Ram and Aerovault combination delivered that perfectly. I never want to give them up. You Might Also Like PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has said the Government will not be arm-twisted by striking teachers into succumbing to their demands, saying only those reporting for duty will be paid. Teacher representatives are calling for a minimum salary of US$520 or the equivalent at the auction rate. However, the Government has indicated that it is not in a position to pay in US dollars given that the local currency has been reintroduced. Government gave all examination classes the nod to resume a fortnight ago, but the reopening of schools has been marred by the teachers industrial action, forcing some schools to send pupils back home. Speaking during a briefing in Mutare on Wednesday, the President said there was no going back in ensuring the smooth flow of lessons in schools. I have heard that after schools reopened in Manicaland, only 30 percent of teachers have reported for duty. Let me assure all of you that Government will never be held to ransom by the teachers. By failing to report for duty, they think they will push us to do what they want. No, we are very principled on that. However, we are happy that some have gone back to work. We will apply the principle that those who work will get paid. Those who are at home are not considered to be at work, said President Mnangagwa. Earlier this week, teachers unions vowed to continue with the industrial action as negotiations with Government. Some teachers were only clocking in, marking registers, giving pupils assignments and vanishing from their work stations. Others are allegedly conducting illegal private lessons for a premium US$10 per subject or US$20 for Grade Seven classes monthly. On Wednesday, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Cain Mathema said an average of 29 percent of teachers had been reporting for duty countrywide, adding that those teachers could cope with the examination classes that are back in school. Minister Mathema said the Government was doing all it could to address the teachers grievances. He said Government, with support from some partners, has created safe teaching and learning environments in schools. The Covid-19 pandemic has brought with it other socio-economic challenges that have impacted the education sector, including the welfare of our teachers, learners and their families. In line with the labour regulations of our land, negotiations are underway to address the teachers concerns to ensure their full attendance at schools. I commend the participation of all sectors, including the private sector, in ensuring that safe school environments are provided to all the children of Zimbabwe so that they enjoy their basic right to education. There is room for more contributions towards the promotion of quality 21st Century education that will transform Zimbabwe into an upper middle-income economy by 2030, said Minister Mathema. He said a lot of work has been done to ensure the safety of learners, teachers and non-teaching staff in schools. The first phase of the re-opening of schools is now underway while preparations for the remaining two phases are in progress. In line with the need to observe physical distancing, the ministry is currently recruiting 2 300 teachers. Thereafter, the ministry will be recruiting another 3 000 to cater primarily for the smaller classes as dictated by the Covid-19 guidelines. While many plans have been disrupted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Education Sector Response Plan recognises our commitment to fulfil the right to inclusive, quality and safe education for all. It is clear that the Covid-19 pandemic threatens this promise, particularly as it deepens other vulnerabilities and widens other inequalities, said Minister Mathema. He applauded development partners that have continued supporting the education sector. Development partners have provided additional funding to complement Treasury allocations for the provision of safe water sources and other WASH infrastructure in schools, the procurement and distribution of essential Covid-19 requirements such as personal protective equipment, hygiene kits, disinfectants, and infrared thermometers, said the minister. He said the education sector has been innovative during the prolonged closure of schools. The usual learning and teaching methods were affected while virtual learning was an alternative method to try and close the gap in learning, said the minister. Herald Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The global stone paper market is anticipated to demonstrate healthy growth during the forecast period (2016-2021), Market Research Future (MRFR) unveils in a detailed report. Stone paper is highly strong, extremely durable, and eco-friendly paper. It is also acknowledged as rich mineral paper, rock paper, and paper from waste marble. Stone paper can be reformed and recycled into stone paper again, which is not recyclable but is compostable and photodegradable under commercial conditions. It is manufactured from the combination of high-density polyethylene and calcium carbonate and is extensively used in magazines, stationery, wallpapers, books, posters, leaflets, plates, adhesives, etc. Market Potential and Pitfalls The stone paper market is predicted to expand at breakneck speed, mainly due to the surging demand for stone paper from the labeling and packaging industries. The booming e-commerce sector across the globe and increased organized retail have widened the scope for packaging, thereby contributing to the market growth. Stone paper is extensively used in self-adhesive paper due to ecological impacts, with regards to the usage of energy, water, deforestation, and carbon emission. This is likely to influence the market growth in the long run. The market is highly competitive due to the presence of suppliers across the globe. Stone paper also helps to enhance the aesthetic properties of the products required to be packed. This further offers an economical and eco-friendly solution, which has triggered its demand across the globe. Consumers are highly concerned regarding pollution caused by plastic packaging. This has further accelerated the sales of stone paper during the review period. On the contrary, environmental regulations on mining activities, which plays an integral role in the extraction of calcium carbonate are likely to restrict the growth of the market. Also, substitutes are easily available in the market, which acts as a major roadblock. Global Stone Paper Market: Segmental Analysis The stone paper market is segmented on the basis of material and application. By material, the stone paper market is segmented into high-density polyethylene, calcium carbonate, and others. By application, the stone paper market is segmented into packaging paper, labeling paper, self-adhesive paper, and others. Among these, the packaging paper segment is likely to gain prominence, mainly due to the increased environmental concerns related to the use of plastics. This has led to a shift in consumer preference for paper-based packaging. The strict regulations regarding deforestation to manufacture conventional products is further propelling the market growth in the packaging paper segment. Regional Frontiers Geographically, the stone paper market spans across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (ROW). Considering the global scenario, the Asia Pacific will dominate the market due to the booming e-commerce industry in the region. The presence of organized retails, coupled with rapidly expanding economies are some of the major contributors to the market growth. With increased disposable income, low cost of production, and rising middle-class population, the regional market is predicted to boost. The easy availability of raw materials, increasing demand for environmental-friendly packaging, and the presence of a large number of manufacturers are considered to elevate the scope for the stone market. North America is considered to gain prominence in the coming years due to advancing technology in the field of manufacturing. Moreover, support from environmental and governmental organizations have propelled the growth of the regional market. Europe will witness a significant growth rate due to the increased demand for packaging application from countries like Russia, France, the UK, Italy, and Germany. The growth can also be attributed to new product developments, advancing technology, and the presence of market players in France, Russia, and Italy. Industry Updates January 2019: A Chile-based designer has recently created a biodegradable alternative to single-use packaging by using raw material, which has been extracted from algae. As per the designer, the material comprises of natural matter. It includes dyes used to color it, which has been extracted from the skins of vegetables and fruits like purple cabbage, blueberries, beetroot, and carrot. Competitive Dashboard The top players operating in the global stone paper market include Kapstone Paper, Stone Paper Company Ltd., Taiwan Lung Meng Technology Co. Ltd., Gaia-Concept BV, Packaging Corporation, Parax Paper, and Soluz Stone Paper S.A. FOR MORE DETAILS https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/construction-stone-market-3894 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. Seen is the Korean Air-owned 36,642-square-meter site in Songhyeon-dong in Seoul's Jongno-gu. / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government By Jun Ji-hye The Seoul Metropolitan Government is facing criticism over its unilateral push to turn a vacant lot owned by Korean Air in central Seoul into a public park, with critics claiming Thursday that the decision is infringing on the property rights of a private company. The city approved a proposal the previous day to designate the airline-owned 36,642-square-meter site in Songhyeon-dong in Jongno District as a public park, although the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission's (ACRC) arbitration between the two sides is still ongoing. In February, the national flag carrier announced a plan to sell its property in Songhyeon-dong, which has been empty and not serving any purpose for about 20 years, to secure cash as part of its self-rescue measures amid worsening financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But in May, the city announced a plan to create a public park there, putting the brakes on the airline's self-rescue efforts, which led the company to file a complaint with the ACRC in June. "The city is pushing to designate the Songhyeon-dong site as a public park although the ACRC's arbitration is still ongoing," a Korean Air official said. "The city government is making a unilateral move, ignoring the ACRC's efforts to mediate." The land, located east of Gyeongbok Palace, is estimated to be worth more than 500 billion won ($432 million), but the city offered 467 billion won in compensation, saying it would make the payments in installments until the end of 2022. For Korean Air, it was an urgent task to sell the property at the earliest possible date at a fair price to secure liquidity, but the city government's move has been seriously thwarting the firm's plan no one bid for the land in the preliminary bidding process that was wrapped up in June, apparently due to the city government's announcement of its public park plan. "The city's move to designate Korean Air's Songhyeon-dong site as a public park is violating property rights of a private company at a time when airlines are having a hard time due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic," an official from the aviation industry said. "The city should withdraw its plan so Korean Air can overcome the crisis through its self-rescue measures." On Wednesday, the city government said it was planning to purchase the Songhyeon-dong site through Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH). Under this measure, LH would purchase the land and pay the airline. Then, the city would give another city-owned property to LH in exchange for the Songhyeon-dong site. The city said this measure would help Korean Air collect payment faster, noting that three parties the city government, Korean Air and LH will discuss the details regarding the procedures related to the land purchase and exchange. The city added that it will postpone the official announcement of this decision, which will have legal force, until the ACRC wraps up its arbitration process, saying it does not want to exert any influence on the ACRC's arbitration. Meanwhile, LH said it has yet to agree with the city government over this decision, raising uncertainty over the plan. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. The parliament of the Netherlands has adopted a resolution, urging the Government to condemn Turkeys militaristic rhetoric that supports Azerbaijan fighting against Artsakh, ARMENPRESS reports the resolution was initiated by Sadet Karabulut, member of the Social Party of the Netherlands. Given that the military operations have again flared up with great intensity in Nagorno Karabakh and that Turkey encourages Azerbaijan with its militaristic rhetoric to continue the war, the parliament urges the Government to condemn Turkeys militaristic rhetoric and call on Turkey in the sidelines of the EU to make efforts for ceasefire and negotiations. Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey , unleashed war against Artsakh on September 27. Turkey, in addition to various types of assistance to Azerbaijan, including using Turkish air force against Artsakh and Armenia, has also deployed thousands of mercenaries and terrorists from Syria in Azerbaijan to fight against Artsakh. So far the Armenian side has reported 320 casualties among the military and 21 civilians, Azerbaijans manpower losses are nearly 4000, which includes both servicemen from the regular Azerbaijani army and terrorists. President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan called for an new coalition against international terrorism on October 6. The Armenian side has reported 350 military casualties and 21 civilians. Azerbaijans manpower losses is over 4.000, which includes both regular army servicemen and jihadist terrorists. Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Dubai-based Latifa Hospital for Women and Children recently performed minimally invasive procedure for endometriosis on a patient who flew down from Poland to receive treatment at the hospitals Endometriosis Centre of Excellence. Dr Muna Tahlak, consultant gynaecologist and CEO of Latifa Hospital for Women and Children said: Prof Arnaud Wattiez has been a mentor and instructor to surgeons in minimally invasive gynaecology surgery (MIGS) all over the world. His work is at the forefront of technical advances in endoscopic gynaecological surgery. MIGS is an area of expertise at the hospital, we feel extremely proud that today Latifa Hospital has become a referral centre for MIGS in the region and abroad. Dr Tahlak added that presently almost 80 to 90 per cent of all gynaecology surgeries at Latifa Hospital are done through minimally invasive methods which ensure fewer complications and faster recovery for patients. Dr Wattiez, Head of the Gynaecology Department, said the surgery was complicated but thanks to the laparoscopic techniques which increase precision, it was completed successfully. Minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques in gynaecology have multiple benefits, it leads to fewer chances of complications, it is less invasive, less painful, leads to faster recovery, usually the patient can be discharged after one to two days of the procedure, the patient can be mobilized after the procedure so there are several benefits of adopting and specializing in minimally invasive obstetrics and gynaecological procedures. Dr. Shaima Al Suwaidi, Gynaecologist at Latifa Hospital and specialist in minimally invasive gynaecology surgery (MIGS) said: Even in advanced cases, we have experience to perform the procedures minimally invasively. In this case, for instance, we performed laparoscopy and not as laparotomy which is an invasive procedure in comparison. In fact the patient had previously unsuccessfully undergone a laparotomy in her home country, therefore, the patient was at high-risk of getting organ injuries or an infection if the procedure would not have been performed using a minimally invasive method. We removed all the pelvic and bowel adhesions laparoscopically. The procedure was a success, the patient is no longer in pain and has a much higher change of getting pregnant now than she did before the procedure. We also carried out a resection of the endometriosis lesions in the pelvis and had bowel resection in areas that were affected by endometriosis. Dr Al Suwaidi said post the procedure, the patient stayed in the country for a few days and returned back to Dubai last month for a follow-up. TradeArabia News Service Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/ Jackson County Sheriff's Office MUNITH, MISeven Michigan men were arrested Thursday as part of a sprawling right-wing plot allegedly targeting the states government and its embattled Governor Gretchen Whitmer in particular. The charges against the men, who allegedly called themselves the Wolverine Watchmen, came in tandem with federal charges against six other men in an alleged plot to kidnap Whitmer. The groups involvementor lack thereofwith those facing federal charges was murky at the time of the announcements. But social media posts and testimony from neighbors of the Wolverine Watchmen suggest they had a disturbing relationship with the far-right paramilitary movement. According to state prosecutors, the Wolverine Watchmen group plotted a violent attack on Michigans government and sought to incite a civil war this summer, with plans to kidnap elected officials. Some of the defendants, who range in age from 21 to 42, had online presences hinting at violence. READ IT: FBIs Criminal Complaint in Militia Plot to Kidnap Gretchen Whitmer In a Thursday afternoon arraignment, Michigan Assistant Attorney General Gregory Townsend called defendants Joseph Morrison and Pete Musico founding members of the Wolverine Watchmen, which he described as a group committed to violence against the government and politicians. Morrison used his property in Munith, Michigan, for militia training, according to Townsend. Members of the militia, according to Townsend, had participated in some of the same activity alleged against the federal defendants, including plotting to bomb bridges and surveilling Whitmers home. There are multiple members of the Wolverine Watchmen, Townsend said. Mr. Morrison was considered the commander. The property in question, a blighted home in rural Michigan, flies a Confederate and Original 13 flag. (The latter has sometimes been adopted by racists, inviting controversy about its intended use in some cases.) Junkrusted cars, a shop vac, coolersfill the yard. Story continues Tom Perkins Several neighbors of the pair wouldnt use their names for fear of retribution from the militia. But they told The Daily Beast theyd heard some shooting coming from the property. They described those who had lived at the house as disrespectful and said large groups regularly gathered on weekends and bullets would be flying off their property in all directions. The neighbors said they suspected the people were part of a militia because of the number of visitors who would show up on weekends, and the number of high caliber rounds that they fired off, characterizing the household as a nuisance. I was in the Army, one neighbor told The Daily Beast. Ive got all kinds of guns in my house, some of them high caliber. But I dont shoot them around here. Another neighbor said the household didnt have many ties to the community. They were the kind of neighbors you stayed away from, the neighbor told The Daily Beast. They were mean. You knew they were involved with the militia. That was obvious from the constant shooting. Tom Perkins Social media pages for the alleged militia members also suggested less-than-friendly posturing. A Facebook page for Eric Molitor, another Michigan man who faces state charges in the case, features praise for 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, whos accused of killing two protesters in Kenosha, Wis. Molitor also posted about conspiracy theories relating to the QAnon movement, posting the QAnon hashtag Save Our Children and images about human-trafficking conspiracy theories. Molitor had previously posted images indicating affiliation with three-percenter militias, a far-right paramilitary movement. Defendants Musico and Morrison, both 42-year-olds who lived together, had sparser online profiles, with neither of them liking anything on Facebook besides a Christian broadcasting group. But on YouTube, Musico was more vocal, sharing rambling tirades against taxes, gun control, and the Deep Stateas well as a rant from 2019 entitled Gretchen Whitmer Interview in which he railed against her policies around auto ownership. In the video, he implied that he was going to obtain an in-person interview with Whitmer. A Pete Musico also has a page on the social media site Gab, popular among white supremacists and the alt-right, on which he promoted the unfounded claim that in South Africa they are killing white people. Although many of the posts feature broken images (a hallmark of Gab), one of the users favorite accounts was that of Joe Biggs, a Proud Boy organizer who has glorified violence against the left. Biggs and anti-Semitic Infowars personality Owen Shroyer are the only accounts he follows. A Michigan-based Pete Musico also has a Twitter account with a Tea Party-style Dont Tread On Me banner as the profile image and a number of posts from 2016 voicing support for Trump and calling for the imprisonment of then-Democratic Party presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. It also includes unfounded allegations that former President Bill Clinton fathered an illegitimate black child and that vaccines contain dangerous levels of mercury. Another post urges his 14 followers to visit right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones site Infowars. Michigan has been a hotbed of militia activity for decades, with over a dozen active militia groups. In 2010, members of a militia group called the Hutaree were indicted for sedition and weapons-related charges over an alleged plot to bomb a law enforcement officers funeral. They were ultimately acquitted of the most serious charges. The states militia movement surged back into the spotlight during the coronavirus pandemic, with militias joining other far-right groups to protest Whitmers coronavirus restrictions. In April, armed men tried to break onto the floor of the state capitol, only to be stopped by security. In May, armed militia members rallied outside the capitol to protest Whitmers pandemic orders. Molitor is facing charges of providing material support for terrorist acts and carrying a firearm during the commission of a felony. Musico and Morrison each face counts of terrorism, gang membership, providing material support for terrorist acts, and firearms felonies. Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Antrim County Sheriff's Office Co-defendants Paul Bellar, 21; Shawn Fix, 38; Michael Null, 38; and Wiliam Null, 38, all face charges of providing material support for terrorist acts and carrying a firearm during commission of a felony. Bellar also faces a count of gang membership. It was not clear whether any of the men charged had retained lawyers. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws 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 Watch: Nottingham authorities push for stricter rules after 'worrying' spike and university outbreaks Nottingham now has the highest weekly rate of new COVID-19 cases in England after more than 2,000 cases were recorded in the city in one week. A total of 2,294 new cases were recorded in the seven days to October 5, data shows the equivalent of 689.1 cases per 100,000 people. It is an increase of 463.6% on the previous week that saw 407 new cases or 122.3 per 100,000 people. Nottingham is also well ahead of the area with the second-highest rate, Knowsley, which is now on 601.2 cases per 100,000 people. After Nottingham, the next five places (Knowsley, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Burnley) on the list are already in local lockdown. Sheffield is seventh on the list with 398.2 cases per 100,000 and is not currently subject to enhanced restrictions. All figures are based on Public Health England data published on Thursday afternoon. Nottinghams council leader has said delays in implementing coronavirus restrictions are placing an unnecessarily huge burden on local resources. Read more: Coronavirus infections soar by 56% in a week as test and trace fails to hit targets Health officials are expecting the Nottingham to be placed in lockdown after a surge in COVID-19 cases. (PA) Councillor David Mellen called for the Government to let us get on with taking the action ourselves. The increase in infections is being partly driven by a recent outbreak at the University of Nottingham, as figures on its website showed 425 students had tested positive for COVID-19 during the week ending last Friday. On Thursday, news emerged that the city would learn what restrictions would be imposed on Monday sparking a fear from the council that people would think the weekend is the last chance before Christmas to have a party. Leaders in other areas that are to face enhanced restrictions reacted with anger to the proposal that included closing pubs and restaurants. Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said the government was treating the North like a petri dish for local lockdown experiments. Story continues Leaders complained they had not been given enough warning about the proposals, there was nothing in them about financial support and were upset they would be implemented before the effects current measures had been felt. Watch: Infection rate doubles in some parts of England after inclusion of 16,000 missed cases Other politicians including Labour leader Keir Starmer have demanded to know why local lockdowns have not been working as infection rates those areas have continued to rise. The need to slow the rise of infections has become apparent as hospital admissions continue to rise. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the nation was facing a perilous moment and added hospitalisations in the North West are doubling every fortnight. Dr Yvonne Doyle, medical director for PHE, said: We are seeing a definite and sustained increase in cases and admissions to hospital. The trend is clear and it is very concerning. New figures show that there were 3,044 COVID-19 patients in hospital in England as of Thursday, up from 1,995 a week ago, while 368 COVID-19 hospital patients were in ventilation beds, up from 285 a week ago. Nottingham City Council said they were led to believe the Government had intended to introduce new restrictions this week until they heard of a proposed delay until Monday. Hospital admissions for COVID patients. (UK Government) Mellon said: We were working towards new Government restrictions being imposed this week. While we are already urging local residents to stick to their social bubbles and not mix with anyone outside their households, we are very concerned about the possible implications of the Government not imposing extra restrictions until next week. There is a chance this weekend that people might think this is the last chance before Christmas, lets go out and party and we cant have that. Mellon continued: It seems like were victims of a Government change of approach and therefore even though weve got very high numbers that weve known about since the beginning of the week, weve got to wait until next week for Government to bring in what we expect will be new restrictions in Nottingham. We need Government to act urgently and decisively or better still, give us the powers to let us get on with taking the action ourselves. Read more: Matt Hancock criticised for repeatedly failing to answer questions about COVID It unnecessarily places a huge burden on our local resources to manage the clear potential for people to decide to go out and socialise one last time this weekend before local measures are introduced, which runs the risk of making a bad situation even worse in terms of infection rates. All we can do is urge people to do the sensible thing and stay at home. This deadly virus is now rife in our city and you are putting yourselves and others at risk unless you take this seriously and follow the strict guidance thats in place. Director of public health for Nottingham Alison Challenger said there was no need to wait for Government restrictions and urged people in the city not to mix with other households. She added: We are seeing an increase in COVID patients being admitted to hospital locally which is of serious concern. Benins national museum director called Tuesdays unanimous vote by French lawmakers on Tuesday to return 26 looted valuables a big victory. "This vote represents a big victory for international cooperation. We have been heard and understood," Alain Godonou, Benins national museum director, told Agence France Presse newswire. The whole process will take some time, but Godonou says that they will prepare to receive the priceless objects within a year. "To start with, the objects will be heading to the museum near the French fort in Ouidah, Says Godonou. Eventually, they will be displayed at a new museum in Abomey, once capital of the Kingdom of Dahomey, he adds, referring to the former name of Benin. The 26 pieces, named the Treasure of Behanzin, were looted in 1892 when the Palace of Abomey was looted. They are currently located at the Quai Branly museum, Paris. Quai Branly has been the site of a number of protests by people looking to repatriate art. In June, 'send it back' activists tried to remove a number of statues of African heritage. Invest in a secure museum Benins request is not an unusual one. A number of African countries have called for their valuable artwork and priceless artefacts to be returned. In 1973, President Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire (now called Democratic Republic of Congo) spoke at the UN General Assembly, calling for the countrys cultural heritage to be returned. Belgium gave back a number of pieces, which were then sold on the black market, according to Godonou. "They didn't have the infrastructure or the framework in place, he says, speaking of the Congolese artefacts. "We don't want that for Benin -- we don't want objects to be returned to a location that isn't secured, that isn't properly guarded, where they could be stolen by criminals who would disappear with them into thin air, he adds. Benin is currently investing in revamping the museums in Benin in order to prepare for the arrival of the looted objects. "After these artefacts are returned, we will be able to host all sorts of collections and exhibitions, including international ones," says Godonou. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 04:15:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A fallen telegraph pole is seen near a gas station after Hurricane Delta hit Cancun, Quintana Roo state, Mexico, Oct. 7, 2020. Hurricane Delta weakened from a category 4 to a category 2 cyclone as it made landfall early Wednesday in the Mexican Caribbean state of Quintana Roo, but heavy rains and strong winds still caused some infrastructure damage, the National Meteorological Service (SMN) said. (Photo by Mauricio Collado/Xinhua) MEXICO CITY, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Hurricane Delta weakened from a category 4 to a category 2 cyclone as it made landfall early Wednesday in the Mexican Caribbean state of Quintana Roo, but heavy rains and strong winds still caused some infrastructure damage, the National Meteorological Service (SMN) said. According to the SMN, Delta hit the beach town of Puerto Morelos at 5:30 a.m. local time (1030 GMT), just south of the renowned tourism resort of Cancun, with maximum sustained winds of 165 kilometers per hour and gusts of 200 kph. Delta lost strength after barreling across the Caribbean Sea as a category 4 hurricane, on a scale of five, with winds of 215 kph and gusts of 270 kph, threatening catastrophic destruction. Thousands of people were evacuated from the hotel zone in Cancun on Tuesday, as well as other resorts, such as Isla Mujeres, Cozumel island and Punta Allen. The Mexican government reported that as of 7 a.m. local time (1200 GMT), Delta had knocked over some power lines, signposts and trees, mainly in Cancun and Cozumel. Delta was expected to head north toward the Gulf of Mexico in the afternoon on a trajectory to the southeast coast of the United States. Enditem 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. F/ERO ATS Tool Used in September to Support Hurricane Laura Recovery Efforts A Disaster Medical Assistance Team sets up tents at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital to provide support in response to Hurricane Laura. Responders like these are processed using F/ERO ATS. FEMA photo A Disaster Medical Assistance Team sets up tents at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital to provide support in response to Hurricane Laura. Responders like these are processed using F/ERO ATS. FEMA photo Johnstown, PA, Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Federal Emergency Management Agencys (FEMA), Mission Support, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office of the Chief Information Security Officer has awarded Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) a one-year contract worth up to $3.6 million. This most recent contract covers work on the Federal Emergency Response Official (F/ERO) Accountability Tracking System (ATS), a mobile, electronic validation system used to identify and track personnel during emergency response situations. F/ERO ATS was first used during the 2017 Presidential Inauguration, where it provided a validation and accountability capability to DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency personnel, enabling secure facility access. F/ERO ATS was most recently used in September 2020 during relief efforts for Hurricane Laura in Lake Charles, Louisiana and Denton, Texas. It was also helpful in the FEMA response to hurricanes Harvey, Maria, and Irma in Texas, Florida, and Alabama, as well as in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, where it tracked F/EROs going on and off commercial and Navy ships deployed for disaster relief. CTC is the prime contractor on this effort and will provide production, sustainment, and integration support for F/ERO ATS, as well as support for FEMA disaster deployment and credential issuing and logistics. CTC has supported FEMA with this technology for nearly a decade, and were proud of our work to optimize this system that plays such an important role in our nations response to disasters, said Edward J. Sheehan, Jr., CTC President and CEO. Through the years, our technical experts have enhanced F/ERO ATS to build upon their initial research and development. The multi-disciplinary team working on this effort includes software, systems, and database engineers. Story continues The F/ERO ATS capability supports multi-jurisdictional interoperability leveraging FIPS 201 credentials, technology, and business process to provide secure real-time electronic validation and accountability. We are extremely proud of our ability to provide this service to FEMA as we grow this capability and expand the F/ERO ATS service to support many mission requirements within FEMA, said Michael Glace, CTC Program Manager. Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) is an independent, nonprofit, applied scientific research and development professional services organization. Together with our affiliates, Enterprise Ventures Corporation and CTC Foundation, we leverage research, development, test and evaluation work to provide transformative, full lifecycle solutions. To best serve our clients needs, we offer the complete ability to fully design, develop, test, prototype and build. We deliver robust, technical, and innovative solutions that safeguard our national security, retain U.S. technological advantage, and ensure the primacy of American manufacturing. For more information about CTC, visit www.ctc.com. Attachment CONTACT: Mary Bevan Concurrent Technologies Corporation 814-248-9917 BevanM@ctc.com Nearly two decades after the death of the late Palestinian-American writer Edward Said, it is more important than ever that we adopt his thinking as a tool to analyse ourselves Edward Said was the most prominent and eloquent voice speaking about the Arab world outside of it. The word outside is key, for he consistently chose to live in the West. New York was home, but Northern California, London and Paris were places he visited often and for extended periods. And when, for a short period, he chose to experience Arabness again and at first hand, he went to Beirut and lived in one of its prestigious neighbourhoods. There, as in different phases of his life, he experienced the Arab world from afar, or in a milieu in which Arabness and the West merged. This was part of Edward Saids exile. He was the Palestinian who grew up in Cairo, spent vacations in Mount Lebanon, was educated in an English school, went to university in New England in the US and taught and lived afterwards in New York. He nurtured his evolving self in different locations, building upon the Arabness of his childhood and adolescence new layers of experiencing life, cultures, forms of knowledge and ideas. Ideas were the world of Edward Said. He was the author of Orientalism, a seminal book that deconstructed the Wests colonisation of ideas and of the mind by showing, with passion and fierceness, how Western prejudice, reductionism, fantasy and condescension had paved the way for its pillaging and occupation of the Arab world and the Orient as a whole. He was also the foremost voice in the world of ideas championing the Palestinian cause. In addition to passion and charisma, he gave that cause the erudition, intellectual sharpness and eloquence of arguably the most talented professor of comparative literature in the second half of the 20th century. His ideas also went much farther. He was one of the most brilliant interpreters of the East to the West and of the West to the East. And the texts he chose to interpret were the ones that, in his view, shaped the minds and psyches of each. His interpretations drew on politics, anthropology, history and above all, literature and how it connects with the societies from which it had emerged. This is why Saids interpretations of the East and the West defy categorisation. Academics typically choose to confine them to literary studies. But perhaps where they fit best are in cafes, where late-night discussions amidst smoke and coffee illuminate minds and lift consciousness. Being an exile made it natural for Said to be an interpreter. Theres an inherent duality in exile, and Said was American as well as Palestinian, Arab as well as Western, a literary critic and a pianist, an activist and a commentator. For many, this could be confusing, but not for Edward Said. His intellectual coherence, even when jumping often in the same essay from one role to its opposite, was always intact. But that duality has a cost: it pushes the feeling of exile to ones core. One ceases to belong to anything, except to abstractions. Perhaps this is why Said called the autobiography of his childhood and adolescence Out of Place and why in it he said that he thought of himself or rather his self, for the self ought to have its independence, its own space on paper as much as in the mind as currents. He did not elaborate, but I like to think that the currents, which often clashed into each other, came towards the end of his life to settle into a calm sea. Internal harmony might necessitate ignoring certain questions, looking briefly rather than gazing on certain places. This is what Edward Said did with Arabness. The destroyer of orientalist ways of seeing the East did not really, in his published work, look deeply into that East himself. Perhaps this is why Edward Said is the hero of many politically-engaged young Arabs. But as the young man (or woman) gives way to a middle-aged one, he or she interrogates Edward Said about what lies beneath the defences of the Arab world, and of the Orient, and finds different roads, all of which Said had trekked, but did not complete. I think it was not Saids mission to draw a detailed picture of Arabness. After all, he was the exile, the one out of place. His choice was always to interpret, but not to write a decisive text. Integrity also dictated that he should refrain from drawing that detailed picture. Edward Saids main attack against orientalism rested not only on how ideas had been weaponised to allow colonisation and occupation. It also rested on the fantasy that westerners viewed the East (the Orient) in terms of, for in fantasy there is escapism and deception of the self and the other as well as lies. Said, a man of real integrity, a man who strove after truth, knew that his land, his places, had changed a lot since the days in which he had known them. Cairo, Mount Lebanon and beyond them the rest of the Arabness of the 1950s were no longer the same by the 1980s or 1990s. They had not only lost a lot of their glamour. They had also lost a lot of the values and meanings that underpin Saids oeuvre. Edward Said knew that the second half of the 20th century was a painful time for the Arab world and for Arabness. He saw this from afar, but he did not write about it could not, for if he had done, his piercing language would have gone, like a bullet, to the heart of modern Arabness. He, the defender, would have been fiercer than all the assailants put together. Not writing meant not lying. Perhaps language convinced him not to draw that picture of the Arab world. He, a connoisseur of English and French, was the perfect interpreter. But in educating people about the Arab world, must not the language of instruction be Arabic? He, a man who upheld the sanctity of the land, of the places, and crucially of words, certainly sensed that it is Arabic, and only Arabic, that has the right to colour any real picture of modern Arabness. Maybe time played a role. In the last decade of his life before his death in 2003, this man dying from leukaemia, this man who had negotiated (without success) with his self between two love stories that watered two different sides of his identity (and who ultimately was without both women), this man who knew that his cause (Palestine) was never going to materialise in his lifetime, and this man who behind a facade of charm, elegance and eloquence suffered from deep pains of abandonment this man, while waiting for death, saw a greater priority in reconciling internal conflicts than in filling voids he had left in earlier writings. Like the literature he critiqued, Edward Said the thinker remains the provider of a wealth of ideas that are open for revisiting and reinterpreting. What is important is that, almost two decades after his death, we the Arabs he defended look at his thinking not as a shield, but as a tool to analyse ourselves and our societies in the seven decades since the end of Western occupation with the sharpness, intellectual integrity, clear language, and fierceness with which Edward Said defended us. The writer is the author of Islamism: A History of Political Islam (2017) and Egypt on the Brink (2010). *A version of this article appears in print in the 1 October, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
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The AIU intercepted one passenger and seized 18 gold bars worth Rs. 54,67,924. The case is registered and probe is underway. There were as many as 18 biscuits of gold worth Rs 55 lakhs seized from AI-984 flight returning from Dubai to Mumbai. According to action taken by Air Intelligence unit, the gold bars were found put by an unknown person under passenger seat of the flight. Later on, that unknown person was intercepted by Air intelligence unit. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. 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. Starting Thursday, Yelp will add an alert on the pages of businesses that have been accused of racist behavior, following several widely covered allegations of racism at U.S. restaurants in recent months. The crowdsourced review platform is often the first place customers go to sound the alarm about discriminatory or racist behavior at businesses, discouraging other potential patrons from spending their money there. "Communities have always turned to Yelp in reaction to current events at the local level. As the nation reckons with issues of systemic racism, weve seen in the last few months that there is a clear need to warn consumers about businesses associated with egregious, racially-charged actions to help people make more informed spending decisions," said a Yelp blog post. The new "Business Accused of Racist Behavior" alert, paired with a red icon, will appear at the top of the page for a business that has been accused of "overtly racist actions" that have been covered by the media. It will also include a link to a news article where the user can read more about the incident. Yelp's public attention alert, which launched earlier this year in response to Black Lives Matter protests, will be placed as a warning on pages for businesses that receive increased attention, whether they're being accused of racist behavior or are being targeted by racist reviews. Yelp's new alert flags businesses that have been accused of racist behavior. (Yelp) A surge of attention can often lead to an influx of fake reviews from people who don't have firsthand experience visiting a particular businesses. As a result, those reviews can artificially inflate or deflate a business' star rating on Yelp. The new alert is designed to help provide context so people can make their own decisions about whether or not to patronize a business. There has been an increased focus on spotlighting and supporting Black-owned businesses since the killing of George Floyd on May 25, as the country addresses systemic racism. Yelp reported a 617% surge in reviews mentioning Black-owned businesses compared to last summer, but noted the volume of reviews reporting racist behavior also increased. Story continues "Between May 26 and September 30, we placed more than 450 alerts on business pages that were either accused of, or the target of, racist behavior related to the Black Lives Matter movement," the company said. "We have maintained around-the-clock support over the last few months to ensure that were maintaining the trust and safety of our users and business owners." Related: Customers who noticed the sign have been respectfully asking the restaurant to remove it for years. The launch of the new alert comes after a number of recent allegations of racist actions at restaurants prompted online backlash. Last month, Fred's Breakfast Club of New Hope, a 31-seat, diner-style restaurant in Pennsylvania was called out for displaying a racist sign on its wall. According to reviews on Yelp, customers have been respectfully asking the restaurant to remove it for years. In September 2018, reviewer "Michael L." wrote, "Food was good but the racist mess on the wall not so much. In June, Luigi Petrone, the co-owner of Tutto Pazzo restaurant in Long Island, New York, was called out for racist remarks when he referred to those peacefully protesting the death of George Floyd as a "bunch of kids, little punks, they look like little animals, savages" on Facebook Live. That same month, Atlas Restaurant Group, which owns Ouzo Bay in Baltimore, Maryland, apologized after a video surfaced of a Black woman and her 9-year-old son being denied service because of the way the boy was dressed, even though a white boy who was similarly dressed was apparently served. Whitmer Thirteen people have been arrested on charges of plotting to kidnap the Democrat governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, and violently overthrow the state government. The FBI announced on Thursday that they had an informant inside the gang, who allegedly approached a Michigan militia for support in their scheme. Joe Gasper, head of Michigan state police, said the plot and subsequent arrests were "unprecedented". Ms Whitmer, 49, has become a lightning rod for conservatives in the deeply divided state, and her strong support for Covid-19 lockdown measures has increased the passionate antipathy many in Michigan feel towards her. On April 17, Donald Trump tweeted: "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" LIBERATE MICHIGAN! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020 Ms Whitmer on Thursday afternoon accused Mr Trump of issuing "a call to action" for militia groups, and said he was "complicit". "When I put my hand on the Bible and took the oath of office 22 months ago, I knew this job would be hard," she said. "But I'll be honest - I never could have imagined anything like this." Ms Whitmer condemned "the disturbing recurrence of bigotry and violence". "Just last week the president of the United States stood before the American people and refused to condemn white supremacists, like these two Michigan groups," she said. "Stand back and stand by, he told them. "Hate groups heard the president's words not as a rebuke, but as a rallying cry - a call to action. "When our leaders speak, their words matter. They carry weight. When our leaders meet with, encourage, fraternise with, domestic terrorists, they legitimise their actions, and they are complicit. "When they stoke and contribute to hate speech, they are complicit." Story continues ...today that they foiled a dangerous plot against the Governor of Michigan. Rather than say thank you, she calls me a White Supremacistwhile Biden and Democrats refuse to condemn Antifa, Anarchists, Looters and Mobs that burn down Democrat run cities... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2020 On Thursday night, Mr Trump said on Twitter she had done a "terrible job" responding to the pandemic and he did not tolerate extreme violence. "Governor Whitmer of Michigan has done a terrible job. She locked down her state for everyone, except her husbands boating activities," he wrote. "The Federal Government provided tremendous help to the Great People of Michigan. My Justice Department and Federal Law Enforcement announced today that they foiled a dangerous plot against the Governor of Michigan. "Rather than say thank you, she calls me a White Supremacistwhile Biden and Democrats refuse to condemn Antifa, Anarchists, Looters and Mobs that burn down Democrat run cities. "I do not tolerate ANY extreme violence. Defending ALL Americans, even those who oppose and attack me, is what I will always do as your President! Governor Whitmeropen up your state, open up your schools, and open up your churches! The gang twice conducted surveillance at Ms Whitmer's summer home in the west of the state, and discussed kidnapping her to a remote location in Wisconsin to stand "trial" for treason, prior to the November election, prosecutors allege. "Our efforts encountered elaborate plans" which were "carefully coordinated and skillfully executed," said Dana Nessel, the Michigan attorney general, at a press conference on Thursday afternoon. Federal charges against an initial six were announced on Thursday morning, and on Thursday afternoon she said that seven more were in custody, on state charges of domestic terrorism, linked to the militia group Wolverine Watchmen. The group was founded in 1994 by Norm Olson, a former US airforce non-commissioned officer, and claims to have more than 80 brigades in nine divisions across the state. Experts say membership figures tend to ebb and flow according to the political climate of the day, but could number several thousand at any one time. Training sessions involving tactical and survival role-playing and weapons use are usually held once a month, the Irish Times reported in April 2019. The militias handbook claims the group is not a racist or right-wing organisation, instead welcoming everyone regardless of the hue of their skin, the paper said. They are accused of attempting "to instigate a civil war and kidnap officials including the governor." They searched for the addresses of law enforcement agents online, and made plans for overthrowing the local government. Josh Hauxhurt, FBI assistant special agent in charge, described the 13 as "extremists" whose actions could not be tolerated. Whitmer "Several members talked about murdering 'tyrants' or 'taking' a sitting governor," an FBI agent wrote in the affidavit. "The group decided they needed to increase their numbers and encouraged each other to talk to their neighbors and spread their message." One of the six co-conspirators named on Thursday morning, Ty Garbin, 24, had his home raided by agents in Hartland Township late on Wednesday. The others named in the plot are Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta. The investigation dates to early 2020 when the FBI began to suspect through social media that individuals were discussing the violent overthrow of several state governments and law enforcement. In June, Croft, Fox and 13 others from multiple states held a meeting in Dublin, Ohio according to the government. Those present included an FBI confidential source who recorded the meetings. The source has been paid $8,600, the paper reported. The group talked about creating a society that followed the US Bill of Rights and where they could be self-sufficient, the FBI agent wrote. They discussed different ways of achieving this goal from peaceful endeavors to violent actions. "At one point, several members talked about state governments they believed were violating the U.S. Constitution, including the government of Michigan and Governor Gretchen Whitmer. As part of that recruitment effort, Fox reached out to a Michigan-based militia group, the agent added. Andrew Birge, US attorney for the Western district of Michigan, said that each of the six face up to life in prison if convicted. Croft is a resident of Delaware; the others live in Michigan, he said. "The alleged conspirators used operational security measures, including operating on encrypted platforms and using codewords," he said at a press conference on Thursday afternoon. He said Fox and Croft suggested detonating devices to distract police while kidnapping her, and even located a highway bridge to blow up. They purchased a Taser, and tested explosives. Matthew Schneider, the US attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, said: "All of us can disagree about politics, but those disagreements should never, ever involve violence." They were arrested on Wednesday in eastern Michigan while meeting to discuss pooling their funds and buy tactical gear for their plot. He said the defendants have begun to make their initial hearings. Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws 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 The Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] Information Center has presented the Azerbaijani armys losses ever since hostilities began on September 27. Accordingly, the Artsakh Defense Army has so far destroyed 16 combat helicopters, 17 warplanes, 145 military drones, 496 armored vehiclesmainly tanks, four TOS-1A heavy artillery system, four Smerch rocket launcher systems of the adversary. Also, the Azerbaijani army has over 4,069 casualties, whereas from the Armenian side, according to preliminary data, there are 331 military casualties. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 09:21:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A chef prepares a Chinese dish at a restaurant in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, Oct. 4, 2020. An increase in the number of Chinese nationals in the country due to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) or other business ventures and more Pakistanis travelling to China in recent years have played a vital role in enhancing popularity of Chinese food in Pakistan, according to Pakistani businessmen in the restaurant sector. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal) by Raheela Nazir ISLAMABAD, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Muhammad Ahmed, a resident of Pakistan's federal capital Islamabad, was enjoying a bowl of vegetable and Hunan beef chow mein with his family in one of the most popular Chinese restaurants in the city, after waiting for one hour to get a table. "Ginyaki is full of Chinese food lovers especially over the weekends and diners have to get reservations well before time to avoid any hassle. My family mostly prefers to have Chinese food whenever we are craving for some different food, as it is unmatchable as far as the amazing taste and health benefits are concerned," Ahmed told Xinhua. He said he has been to China several times due to his business and found the taste of the Chinese food served in Pakistani restaurants more or less the same as the authentic Chinese cuisine, but there are also some restaurants where chefs choose to give the oriental dishes a touch of local taste to satisfy visitors' intrinsic buds. The colossal range of different varieties in beef, mutton, seafood and vegetables is the reason behind locals' fondness for the Chinese food, said another diner Ali Malik, adding that some eateries also offer chopsticks and play Chinese music in the background to give an impression of the Chinese style which is absolutely mesmerizing. Naveed Illahi, an official from the Capital Development Authority of Islamabad, told Xinhua that there were only a few Chinese restaurants in the city before 2015, but with the implementation of various projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the capital has seen a spike in the number of Chinese restaurants and guesthouses which also gave a boom to local restaurant industry. There are around 30 Chinese restaurants in the capital at the moment, the official said, adding the popularity that the distinctive and flavorous Chinese food is gaining in Pakistan is a sign that the CPEC is more than trade and investment. An increase in the number of Chinese nationals in the country due to CPEC or other business ventures and more Pakistanis travelling to China in recent years have played a vital role in enhancing popularity of Chinese food in Pakistan, according to Pakistani businessmen in the restaurant sector. "I did not see such an immense demand for Chinese food in the past. Besides providing great economic and social opportunities for the people of Pakistan, CPEC has also opened a way for the introduction of Chinese cuisine in the country and thus giving a boost to the local restaurant industry as well," said Nisar Hussain, the owner of a Chinese restaurant in Islamabad. There was a need to establish more Chinese restaurants to meet the demand of Chinese and local citizens in major cities of Pakistan including Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, Hussain, who has been in food business for more than one decade, told Xinhua. "Considering the perks associated with it, I opened my own restaurant several years back. I started from scratch as a chef in another Chinese restaurant in Islamabad and now I have my own setup. Today, I am able to secure a sound and sober livelihood for my family and myself," he said. Even during the lockdown period due to the COVID-19 pandemic when all the eateries were closed for dine-in across the country, the sales via home deliveries and takeaways remained unabated, the restaurant owner said. To express his adoration for China and the Chinese people, Hussain said he has given his restaurant a Chinese name "Xinhua" meaning "New China." He said the name also attracts lots of customers having love for traditional and authentic Chinese food. "Love and passion for Chinese cuisine is not just limited to Chinese or Pakistani nationals as our restaurant also entertains many customers from various countries around the globe. The taste, quality and nutritional value of Chinese cuisine are much more as compared to any other contemporary cuisine," said Hussain. Enditem The field of candidates to lead the World Trade Organization (WTO) was cut to two on Thursday, in a historic move that means the Geneva-based body will get its first female director general. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria and Yoo Myung-hee of South Korea will fight it out for the hot seat vacated by the Brazilian Roberto Azevedo in August, with candidates from Britain, Kenya and Saudi Arabia failing to make the second cut, it was widely reported on Thursday. Should Okonjo-Iweala win, she would be the first African director general, while Yoo would be the second Asian, following Thailands Supachai Panitchpakdi who headed the organisation between 2002-05. Yoo is the third South Korean to run for the role. Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China. The heavily-fancied Kenyan, Amina Mohamed, saw her bid scuppered when the European Union united as a block to back Okonjo-Iweala and Yoo, while her bid was also hampered by a split African vote. The six-nation East Africa Community supported Mohamed, with the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States backed Okonjo-Iweala, Bloomberg reported. Britains Liam Fox and Saudi Arabias Mohammad Maziad Al-Tuwaijri were also eliminated before the final round. China-watchers have long intimated that Beijing prefers an African candidate, but trade experts in the mainland said China had concerns about both finalists. Former Nigerian finance minister Okonjo-Iweala holds a US passport a fact which emerged during the campaign and spent many years working in Washington at the World Bank, adding to the perception she is close to the US. But if Yoo were to win, it could damage Chinas chances of holding onto the deputy director general position, due to concerns over regional balance in the leadership. The WTO has four deputies, one of which is guaranteed to be American, with the other three positions rotating between Latin America, Africa, Europe and Asia. Chinas Yi Xiaozhun has been a deputy since 2013. Story continues The result of the second round of the director general race is in line with our expectation, said one academic familiar with Chinas position. China has concerns about both candidates. It is a rather difficult trade-off between the two. But in my personal view, the deputy director general position is very important for China, so China will consider this seriously. Also, although Ngozi [Okonjo-Iweala] has a US passport, she still represents Africa, which means the trade and development issues will matter a lot in her WTO agenda. This is in line with Chinas expectations for WTO reform. Kong Qingjiang, vice-chairman of the China Society of WTO Law Research, agreed the final candidates were not to the full satisfaction of China, but either would be acceptable. That is the cost [China] has to pay to work the WTO at this moment, Kong said. The final two choices come from very different backgrounds. TikTok, WeChat bans by US and India broke WTO rules, China says Yoo is South Koreas first trade minister and has spent almost her entire career working exclusively on trade issues, helping negotiate trade deals with both the United States and China. Okonjo-Iweala has had a long career in politics and multilateralism, having twice held the role of Nigerian finance minister, and also held senior roles in the World Bank and currently at Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance. In earlier interviews with the South China Morning Post, both candidates said they would focus on completing existing WTO negotiations on fisheries and e-commerce to introduce a sense of progress into the institution, which has seen its negotiating function fail and its highest dispute-resolution body paralysed because the US refused to approve new judges. Both said that reaching realistic goals like these might encourage the US and China to bring their long-running trade dispute to the WTO negotiating table. I believe a revitalised, well-functioning WTO could provide a meaningful platform for both China and the US to have in-depth discussions and explore a way forward on trade-related issues, Yoo told the Post last month. The starting point would be to have them engage at the multilateral setting. Perhaps their trade tensions, to some extent, are due to the lack of progress at the top. Referring to the fisheries and e-commerce talks, Okonjo-Iweala said it was important to look at points of progress between nations, rather than how distant members are from one another. You have to build confidence, and that means doing certain things concretely. Thats whats needed to say: what are the areas that the US and China are actually doing something in common? she said in an August interview with the Post. The WTO hopes to fill the role by November 6, with the global trading system facing unprecedented challenges. The next leader will need a particular set of skills, said one former Geneva official, speaking on background. It is a bit like herding cats while walking in front of them. Leadership without decision-making powers, the official said. Persuasion without insistence. Force of personality softened by the ability to stand aside while building bridges. More from South China Morning Post: This article China faces difficult trade-off as WTO leadership race heads into final round first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. 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 President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday greeted the nation on the occasion of 88th Indian Air Force (IAF) Day and hailed the role played by the Air Force personnel in not just safeguarding the country but also for playing a major role in humanitarian services during any disaster. Indian Air Force Day is commemorated on October 8 every year to mark the foundation day of the Air Force. The President said, "On Air Force Day, we proudly honour our air warriors, veterans, and families of the Indian Air Force." On Air Force Day, we proudly honour our air warriors, veterans, and families of the Indian Air Force. The nation remains indebted to the contribution of the IAF in securing our skies and assisting civil authorities in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief. President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) October 8, 2020 He said the nation remains indebted to the contribution of the IAF in securing skies and assisting civil authorities in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief. The president said he is confident that in the years to come, the Indian Air Force will continue to maintain its high standards of commitment and competence. The ongoing process of modernisation with induction of Rafale, Apache and Chinook aircraft will transform the Indian Air Force into an even more formidable strategic force, said the President. In a tweet in Hindi, Modi said, "Many congratulations to all the brave warriors of the Indian Air Force on Air Force Day. You not only keep the skies of the country safe, but also play a leading role in the service of humanity in times of disaster. Your courage, valour and dedication to protect Maa Bharati is inspiring for everyone." He also attached a short video highlighting the importance of Air Force Day. In the one minute 19 second video, Modi says, the journey of IAF began on October 8, 1932 with six pilots and 19 Air Force personnel. And now Indian Air Force is one of the strongest air forces across the globe and this journey is incredible. - , , #AFDay2020 pic.twitter.com/0DYlI7zpe6 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 8, 2020 The Defence Minister Rajnath Singh extended his greetings and best wishes to all air warriors and their families. He expressed his commitment for enhancement of IAF's combat capability through modernisation and indigenisation. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also took to Twitter and wrote, "Greetings on Indian Air Force day! From safeguarding our skies to assisting in all odds, our brave Air Force personnel have served the nation with utmost courage and determination. Modi govt is doing everything possible to keep our mighty air warriors roaring loud in the skies." The IAF is celebrating its 88th anniversary today. This year IAF day is special as the newly-inducted Rafale fighter aircraft will feature in the Indian Air Force Day parade. Two newly inducted Rafale jets are to be a part of the Indian Air Force Day flypast. A total 56 aircraft will be there for aerial display and 11 jets on static display. President Obama embraces poet Louise Gluck before awarding her the 2015 National Humanities Medal in September 2016. (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press) The 2020 Nobel Prize in literature has been awarded to former U.S. Poet Laureate Louise Gluck. The prize committee cited her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal." Gluck is the first American woman to win the award since Toni Morrison in 1993. The prize was announced Thursday in Stockholm by the Swedish Academy. Gluck, 77, joins a glittering list of literary giants and previous Nobelists who include, in this century, Canadian short-story master Alice Munro, British novelist Kazuo Ishiguro, Chinese magical-realist Mo Yan, Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa and Turkish author Orhan Pamuk. Gluck's work includes 12 collections of poetry and a couple of volumes of essays on literary writing. All are characterized by striving for clarity. Childhood and family life, the close relationship with parents and siblings is a [theme] that has remained central to her, Anders Olsson, the chairman of the Nobel Committee for Literature, said. She seeks the universal, and in this she takes inspiration from myths and Classical motifs, Olsson added, citing her 2006 collection "Averno," which the committee described as masterly for its visionary interpretation of the myth of Persephones descent into hell in the captivity of Hades, the god of death. A professor at Yale and a resident of Cambridge, Mass., Gluck served as U.S. poet laureate from 2003 to 2004 and is no stranger to accolades. She won the Pulitzer Prize in 1993 for her collection of poems titled "The Wild Iris," in which "she describes the miraculous return of life after winter in the poem 'Snowdrops,'" the Nobel literature committee said Thursday. She also won the 2014 National Book Award for poetry for "Faithful and Virtuous Night." In 2016, President Obama bestowed the National Humanities Medal on Gluck in a White House ceremony. Mats Malm, a Nobel literature committee official, said that he contacted Gluck with news of her win and that "the message came as a surprise but a welcome one, as far as I could tell, given the early hour on the U.S. East Coast. Story continues The publicity-shy Gluck did not immediately issue any comment about the latest tribute to her body of work, which spans more than half a century. In a 2012 interview, she acknowledged that prizes can make "existence in the world easier" but did not amount to the immortality of a true artist. I want to live after I die, in that ancient way, she said. "And theres no way of knowing whether that will happen, and there will be no knowing, no matter how many blue ribbons have been plastered to my corpse. The remark is in line with Olsson's description of Gluck's poetic voice as candid and uncompromising but frequently witty. Her literary career began with the aptly named collection "Firstborn," published in 1968. Other acclaimed works include "Ararat" and "The Triumph of Achilles" from 1985, which garnered the National Book Critics Circle Award. Gluck, who attended Sarah Lawrence College and Columbia University, is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The last American to win the literature prize was an unconventional choice: Bob Dylan, whom the committee singled out in 2016 for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition. The literature prize has had other brushes with controversy, including complaints that the award committee has too often favored European writers. Last year, two literature prizes were handed out, one for 2019 and a belated one for 2018, following a sexual harassment scandal that engulfed the committee and forced organizers to postpone naming the 2018 winner. Both of those most recent laureates were Europeans. The choice of Austrian writer Peter Handke as the 2019 awardee also drew criticism because of comments he has made minimizing the ethnic cleansing perpetrated by Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic during the Balkan wars. At least one member of the Nobel literature committee resigned over the decision to honor Handke. However, Americans have been well-represented in this years round of Nobel Prizes, sharing in all three science awards before Thursday's announcement of the literature laurel. Two American scientists were among those honored with the prize for medicine Monday for their part in discovering the hepatitis C virus, a UCLA astronomer jointly won the physics prize Tuesday for her work on understanding black holes, and a UC Berkeley biochemist was one of two women recognized Wednesday for helping to develop the revolutionary CRISPR gene-editing tool. The Nobel Peace Prize winner will be unveiled Friday, and the award for economics will be announced Monday. The award comes with a gold medal and more than $1.1 million, drawn from a bequest left by Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, who established the prizes that bear his name. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 20:23:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said during an interview aired on Thursday that regaining occupied Syrian territories is the major precondition for peace negotiations with Israel. Assad made the remarks during an interview with Russia's Rossiya Segodnya news agency, which was also released by Syria's official SANA news agency. "Our stance has been very clear since the beginning of peace talks in the 1990s ... when we said peace for Syria is related to rights and our right is our land," Assad said. Syria can establish normal relations with Israel "only when we regain our land," he stressed. However, "we have seen no Israeli official who is ready to move one step forward toward peace," the Syrian president said. No negotiations are taking place between Syria and Israel in the present time, Assad added. Syria and Israel have been arch-enemies, particularly since Israel occupied the Syrian Golan Heights in 1967. Enditem A father who reported two daughters missing, kills them and hides the bodies in an oil tanker. When pitiful remains were retrieved, they had skin slippage from immersion in oil. The deaths of the daughters of Chris Watts, 4-year-old Bella Watts, and 3-year-old Celeste Watts during the autopsy exam have been released after coroner gave his conclusions. Both girls were smothered to death by their father. But young Bella bit her tongue and cheeks uselessly resisting her suffocation, reported Meaww. Retrieval from getting immersed in oil had a terrible consequence on the children's corpse. After the remains were taken, the bodies were washed and there was skin slippage on them, Adulterous father kills his family Watts, 33-years old, works in a Colorado oil company who concocted a plan to kill his wife and two kids. To hide any involvement in their murders, he told police that his family was nowhere to be found. But, his subterfuge was exposed and admitting to the brutal multiple murders when arrested. Investigators dug up proof that he was unfaithful with another employee at work, mentioned ABC. He murders his 15 weeks pregnant wife Shanaan, 34-years old. It did not stop there, because he also killed two daughters who are three and four years old, hiding his girl's remains in two oil counters, at his work place. His dead wife had a shallow gave dug, close to where his daughters where killed, cited Kiro7. They were last seen alive on August 13, but were found three days later on August 16. Both were killed by their father, noted Time. Also read: Mother and Daughter Double Murder Under Police Investigation More details were found out about how he got rid of the bodies and get away with. He had to stuff the remains of the two girls into an 8-inch hole in the tankers. Their arms and legs were scrapped while pushing them in until they sunk inside the tankers. When the bodies were found, Bella had hearts and butterflies on her pajamas when she died. Little Celeste wore a pink top with diaper and underwear on. Investigators determined that mother and daughters time of death are different. Recovering the bodies was not easy to do. They concluded that Shanann died at 5 a.m. last August 16, Celeste passed at 3:40 p.m., Bella was the last to die at 5:50 p.m. The kids were also suffocated to death while getting immersed in crude oil, that had entered their throat, stomach, and lungs. From the autopsy there was no doubt Chris killed his family, intentionally committing homicide. Causes of death were determined as suffocation by smothering the victim until dying of losing breathe. Getting submerged in oil as a toxic substance and the decomposition of the bodies in crude oil as murder. Skin slippage is observed in the bodies of Bella and Celeste. Their bodies were bloated, with marbled skin on their stomachs. Because of exposure to oil for several days, their skin was loose on the cadavers. Watts tried to lie and blame his wife for slaying the girls, while saying he killed her. Later on, he changed his mind to admit he killed everyone willfully. The accused is charged with killing his two daughters, killing his pregnant wife, and other charges where he pled guilty. Related article: Doner Kebab Chef Dad Chopped Up Daughter in Parts When She Argued Drunk With Mom @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. It is suspect that more than a million dollars have been looted by cybercriminals who attacked Uganda's mobile digital payment system over the week although the incidence has not been verified by the telecom companies or banks. Stanbic Bank and the mobile operators MTN and Airtel have admitted there was an incident in which more than 20 million people using mobile payment platforms have been affected since Saturday. But inter-network mobile money transactions between MTN and Airtel Uganda customers have been postponed in the meantime whereas the intra-network mobile money services among MTN Uganda or Airtel Uganda subscribers continue to be active. If corona cases continue to grow, a child will die every 15 seconds: WHO Telecom demon MTN has described the hacking - which targeted the company that shifts the money to Pegasus Technologies - as "unprecedented" because of the scale and magnitude of the crime. For they seek to investigate the mobile digital payment system could be out of commission for a month as investigations continue. Internet use has also been disrupted because owners of mobile devices use money transfers to pay for data. As per the source, mobile transactions are worth more than $7bn (5.4bn) a year in Uganda. Texas girl creates Guinness World record for having longest legs The company described the Cyberattack as remarkable. They also apologized to customers for the inconvenience brought to them by the hack and promised to restore services as soon as possible. 46 million people of Uganda population 13 million subscribers are of MTN and Airtel Uganda possesses about 10 million subscribers. Due to the hacking incident, subscribers may start to have doubts regarding the security of their mobile money/bank accounts. Therefore, MTN and Airtel Uganda will be very keen to recover customer confidence shortly by resolving this incident and avoiding a repeat. China will pay big price for corona pandemic: Donald Trump Reichelt said the 350-acre manufacturing complex, also known as the Grid, is a natural hub for the companys American business, which it is considering expanding based on customer demand and new requirements under the Buy American Act, which establishes a preference for products manufactured in the U.S. The company is interested in the Chicago area because of its central location and strong transit history, Reichelt said. 404 Page not found It looks like you found a glitch in the page... This has its roots in modern media-consultant strategy, adherents of which often hold that the best practice, when being interviewed, is to completely ignore what the interviewer is asking and go ahead and say whatever it is you came to say. It is effective, no doubt, when it comes to CEOs trying to wriggle out of some nefarious corporate act, but when it comes to the second highest office in the land, it should be outlawed. Its cheating, too. And its an enemy of democracy. 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. Spains Equality Minister Irene Montero dropped a political bombshell on Wednesday in the Congress of Deputies: a plan to repeal the 2015 reform of the abortion law. This change, which does not yet have a set date, would mean that 16- and 17-year-olds will no longer need parental consent to terminate a pregnancy. The 2015 reform was introduced under the former government of the conservative Popular Party (PP), which had tried to eliminate abortion on demand in the first trimester and take Spain back to a case-based system. The initiative was staved off by widespread protest from womens associations and resistance from within the ranks of the PP itself, forcing the party to scale back its proposal to the issue of parental consent. Under the reform, 16- and 17-year-olds need to have permission from their parents to have a termination. In other words, it gives parents the option of forcing their daughters to bear an unwanted child. Montero, of the left-wing Unidas Podemos party, told Spains lower house of parliament on Wednesday that the repeal was more than necessary and that work had begun to change the law so that all women have the right to decide over their bodies. The change would bring Spains law in line with other European countries such as France, where women can terminate a pregnancy from age 16 without having to inform their family. According to the Accredited Abortion Clinic Association (ACAI), the need for parental consent has limited the only legal option for minors without parental care to access an abortion, affecting between 400 and 500 women in this age group every year. At the time of the reform, the ACAI estimated that approximately one in every 10 women aged 16 and 17 who terminated a pregnancy did not have a parental guardian. No new data is available on these figures as it is impossible to know how many 16- and 17-year-olds did not seek an abortion due to the reform, explained an ACAI spokesperson, who added that it was hardly tenable that 16- and 17-year-olds could freely decide to be mothers, get married and to reject medical treatment, but not to voluntarily terminate a pregnancy. Next steps The pledge to recover the reproductive rights of all women, including minors, was part of the coalition deal signed between the Socialist Party (PSOE) and Unidas Podemos after the inconclusive results of the 2018 repeat election, and that paved the way for the formation of the current government. But getting the changes passed will not be easy. The Equality Ministry, headed by Montero, will first have to submit the proposal to the public and negotiate the details with the Health Ministry, which is headed by Salvador Illa of the PSOE. The change will then need to be approved by an absolute majority of the Congress of Deputies: 177 votes or more in the 350-seat chamber. The coalition government does not have an absolute majority, meaning it will need the support of other parties to pass the legislative changes. The far-right Vox, which is the third-largest group in Congress, has already indicated that it will not support the proposal. Other measures Montero announced other measures that would be included in the changes to the abortion law. Sex education will play an important role, which she said was a vaccine against gender violence. The modification will also include the right to newer forms of contraception. The minister stated that the comprehensive care provided to victims of gender violence who are hurt by their partners or ex-partners will be extended to other victims of sexual assault and exploitation. Montero also announced plans to end the use of the so-called parental alienation syndrome (PAS) as a criterion in court decisions. This syndrome, which has no scientific basis, has been used in court to argue that children have been manipulated against their father by their mother, meaning their testimony is invalid. Abortion law in Spain Current abortion legislation allows women to have an abortion until week 14 of their term, no questions asked. This system is modeled after other European countries such as France or The Netherlands. Most European Union members have similar systems in place. Between weeks 14 and 22, abortion is only allowed when there is "a serious risk to the life or health of the mother or fetus." This must be determined by doctors who cannot be the same physicians who will later perform the surgery. After 22 weeks, abortion is only allowed if medics detect "fetal deformities that are incompatible with life." Young women aged 16 and 17 can have an abortion but need to have parental permission. Under the previous 2010 law, parents had to come with them to the clinic unless the minor alleged that telling her parents would create a family conflict. Flash Three scientists shared the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics for their discoveries about the black hole, one of the most exotic phenomena in the universe, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm announced on Tuesday. The prize has been awarded with one half to Roger Penrose and the other half jointly to Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez. "Roger Penrose showed that the general theory of relativity leads to the formation of black holes. Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez discovered that an invisible and extremely heavy object governs the orbits of stars at the center of our galaxy. A supermassive black hole is the only currently known explanation," said a press release from the academy. "The discoveries of this year's laureates have broken new ground in the study of compact and supermassive objects. But these exotic objects still pose many questions that beg for answers and motivate future research. Not only questions about their inner structure, but also questions about how to test our theory of gravity under the extreme conditions in the immediate vicinity of a black hole," David Haviland, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, was quoted by the release as saying. Ghez, one of the laureates, said in the on-site telephone interview that she was very "thrilled" to receive the prize as a female laureate and that she took seriously the responsibility associated with the prize. She emphasized that "science is critical to human beings" and "I feel passionate to teach younger generations the ability to question and think, which is crucial to the world." Ghez noted that it was first "doubt and excitement, a combination of things" that drove her in her researches. "We still do not know what's in the black hole. It's part of the intrigue, which still pushes our understanding to the new world," she said. This year's prize amount is 10 million Swedish kronor (about 1.12 million U.S. dollars), with one half to Penrose and the other half jointly to Genzel and Ghez. Penrose, born in 1931, is a professor at University of Oxford. Genzel, born in 1952, is the director at Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Garching, Germany and a professor at University of California, Berkeley, the United States. Ghez, born in 1965, is a professor at University of California, Los Angeles, the United States. Kamala Harris said last month that Tupac Shakur was her favorite living rapper in a viral gaffe The Trump campaign wants all eyes on Tupac Shakur during tonights vice-presidential debate as theyve reserved a ticket for the late rapper in a taunt directed at Sen. Kamala Harris. Harris and Vice President Mike Pence will be debating in their first and only exchange, but the barbs are already being thrown. Pences would-be replacement is being mocked for her assertion last month at NAACPs virtual convention about her musical tastes. Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA.), delivers remarks during a campaign event on August 27, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images) Read More: TIMES UP study finds Kamala Harris announcement coverage steeped in sexism Best rapper alive? CNN commentator Angela Rye asked. Harris named Tupac but Rye reminded the California senator that he died. Tupac was shot and killed at the age of 25 in 1996 in Las Vegas but conspiracy theorists have insisted the rap star is alive and in hiding. Not alive. I know, I keep doing that! Harris laughed. Kamala Harris asked, whos the best rapper alive? She answers @2PAC Then says Not alive, I know, I keep doing that. Tries to think of another living rapper. Theres some I would not mention right now because they should stay in their lane. pic.twitter.com/MZJ5FZC4qP Emily Larsen (@emilyelarsen) September 25, 2020 Harris attempted to recover from her gaffe but never got around to naming another rapper. Theres some I would not mention right now because they should stay in their lane, she said. Despite the slim chance of Tupac actually showing up to the debate being held in Salt Lake City, the Trump campaign has decided to have some fun at Harris expense. We have left a ticket for Tupac Shakur, Trumps senior campaign adviser Jason Miller reportedly told reporters. Story continues I asked the Trump campaign who Vice President Mike Pence is bringing to tonight's debate. A spokesperson responded: "Tupac." Happy Wednesday, everybody. Nicole Sganga (@NicoleSganga) October 7, 2020 Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaigns communications director, doubled down on the troll. True https://t.co/mascSb4L37 Tim Murtaugh Download the Trump 2020 app today! (@TimMurtaugh) October 7, 2020 Though its widely believed that Harris says she smoked marijuana while listening to Tupac and Snoop, her quote was actually taken out of context in an interview with The Breakfast Club. While it was pointed out that Harris would have graduated before either of those rap stars became nationally known, in fact, she was talking separately about smoking and music when misquoted, according to Reuters. Read More: Kamala Harris says to vote as if your life, your choice depends on it, at Shaw University A rep for Harris stated at the time that there was simply a miscommunication. Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today! The post Trump campaign trolls Kamala Harris by leaving ticket for Tupac for VP debate appeared first on TheGrio. ONTARIO, Calif.The 2020 StorErotica Award nominees have been announced, and CalExotics and Jopen have been nominated for a full 10 Storerotica Awards. The Storerotica Awards celebrate the best in erotic retail, and honor the hard work and dedication of adult product manufacturers, distributors, key industry executives and retailers. Because of the ongoing pandemic, the 2020 Storerotica Awards will be announced online and in the December issue of StorErotica Magazine. 2020 has been a particularly challenging year, so I am truly grateful to be nominated for these awards, said Susan Colvin, Founder and CEO of CalExotics and Jopen. My team is dedicated, hardworking and determined to succeed, and these nominations are a testament that all of our hard work is being recognized." In addition to its brands and products, CalExotics resident sexologist Dr. Jill McDevitt has been nominated for Brand Ambassador of the Year. "I was over the moon when I heard about my nomination for Brand Ambassador of the Year," Dr. McDevitt said. "It is an absolute joy to be part of the CalExotics team and I'm proud to represent this brand and its mission to bring pleasure to all people." The nominations for CalExotics and Jopen include: Pleasure Product Company of the Year- CalExotics Executive of the Year-Susan Colvin, Founder and CEO of CalExotics Marketing Campaign of the Year- California Dreaming by CalExotics New Product of the Year- French Kiss Casanova by CalExotics BDSM Product/Range of the Year- Scandal by CalExotics Luxury Product/Range of the Year- Shameless by CalExotics Retailers Brand Favorite of the Year- CalExotics Product Packaging of the Year- Hidden Pleasures by CalExotics Product Packaging of the Year- Jopen Brand Ambassador of the Year-Dr. Jill McDevitt, Resident Sexologist for CalExotics Voting for the 2020 Storerotica Awards is now open. Industry members can cast their votes at StoreroticaAwards.com. Voting ends October 15. Please cast your votes today for CalExotics and Jopen, Colvin suggested. To learn more about CalExotics and Jopen, visit b2b.calexotics.com and connect with them both on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube for news and updates. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 21:45:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LAGOS, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria's cabinet has approved the award of contracts for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of a narrow-gauge railway connecting Port Harcourt in the south and the city of Maiduguri, the capital of the restive northeast state of Borno. After the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi told reporters the railway line, with new branch lines and trans-shipment facilities, will be at a cost of 3.02 billion U.S. dollars. The minister said the FEC has also approved the construction of a new deep seaport in Bonny, an Atlantic oil port situated in southern Nigeria, and the construction of an industrial railway park in Port Harcourt. The narrow-gauge railway will have new branch lines connecting Port Harcourt, the oil industry hub in Nigeria to Bonny with a future deep seaport and Owerri, a trading center of agricultural produce in the country, Amaechi said. There will also be branch lines connecting the standard gauge in Kaduna state, and some northeastern cities such as Gombe, Damaturu and Gashua. Local observers said this move is expected to inject vitality into the economy of the northeast region, which has long been devastated by attacks by the extremist group Boko Haram and other armed groups. Enditem 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. Some of the better lines include an engaging fight between Ziegler and the President, where he demands Bartlet stop dumbing down his message and pulling his punches: Youre the President, you dont have to act like it. He goes on pushing President Bartlet to make this election about smart, and not. Make it about engaged, and not. Qualified, and not. Make it about a heavyweight. Youre a heavyweight. Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws 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 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 YEREVAN, OCTOBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister expects France to recognize the independence of Nagorno Karabakh, ARMENPRESS reports Pashinyan told Tv5Monde. I want to emphasize the satisfaction of the Armenian people, Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh for the sincere, truth-based positions of the French President. I can say that I expect the French President, France to recognize the independence of Nagorno Karabakh, because today there is no other option to solve the concerns raised by Emmanuel Macron (but the recognition), because this can lead to a huge humanitarian disaster, but also this can spread its terroristic waves in our region in the larger sense. And of course, this is a direct threat to the global security, given the factor and policy of Turkey. My expectation is really that France recognizes the independence of Nagorno Karabakh, Pashinyan said. Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey , unleashed war against Artsakh on September 27. Turkey, in addition to various types of assistance to Azerbaijan, including using Turkish air force against Artsakh and Armenia, has also deployed thousands of mercenaries and terrorists from Syria in Azerbaijan to fight against Artsakh. So far the Armenian side has reported 350 casualties among the military and 21 civilians, Azerbaijans manpower losses are nearly 4000, which includes both servicemen from the regular Azerbaijani army and terrorists. President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan called for an new coalition against international terrorism on October 6. The Armenian side has reported 350 military casualties and 21 civilians. Azerbaijans manpower losses is over 4.000, which includes both regular army servicemen and jihadist terrorists. The Azerbaijani side has also lost 16 helicopters, 17 warplanes, 496 armored vehicle, 153 UAVs and 4 TOS 1 Heavy Flamethrower System. Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan Manilas karaoke addicts, give up your microphones because Mayor Isko Moreno announced today that daytime karaoke is banned in your city. Thats right: Moreno is prohibiting the morning use of karaoke, videoke, and other sound-producing devices that disturb the community, according to a statement he posted online. Read: Karaoke singing beyond curfew hours banned in Cavite According to Ordinance No. 8688, the use of all these devices will be prohibited from 7am to 5pm from Monday to Saturday. Violators will be made to pay a fine of PHP1,000 (US$21), PHP2,000 (US$41), and PHP3,000 (US$62) for the first, second, third, and succeeding violations, respectively. This was done after we have received numerous complaints from parents of students who are now studying online under blended distance learning, the mayor said in English and Filipino. We are authorizing all village officials and the police to implement this ordinance. The Manila ban comes almost a month after the Cavite provincial government prohibited the use of karaoke and videoke beyond curfew hours. Governor Jonvic Remulla said that residents are supposedly having a hard time sleeping at night, no thanks to all the noise being made by karaoke aficionados. Karaoke singing is a favorite pastime in the Philippines. Pinoys are so passionate about it that sometimes, people even fight over who gets to sing first. There have also been several deaths caused by conflicts induced by the song My Way. In one case, a man was stabbed to death in 2018 when he stopped his neighbor from singing the Frank Sinatra classic. This article, I Did It My Way: Mayor Moreno bans daytime karaoke in Manila after parents complain, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws 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 NDP Leader John Horgan is seen after launching his party's campaign platform in downtown Vancouver, Tuesday, October 6, 2020. he NDP has become the first party to release its platform in the B.C. election, promising direct payments to help people recover from the financial pain caused by COVID-19. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward PEOPLEaS UNION FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES 332, Patpar Ganj, Opposite Anand Lok Apartments, Mayur Vihar I, Delhi 110 091 Phone 2275 0014 PP FAX 4215 1459 Founder: Jayaprakash Narayan; Founding President: V M Tarkunde President: Ravi Kiran Jain; General Secretary: Dr. V. Suresh E.mail: puclnat[at]gmail.com& pucl.natgensec[at]gmail.com 08th October, 2020 PUCL Condemns the Detention and Arrest of Fr. Stan Swamy in Bhima Koregaon Case PUCL is shocked by and condemns the detention and arrest by NIA police team of 83 year old Fr. Stan Swamy from his residence in Bagaicha, Ranchi to take him to Mumbai to be remanded in the Bhima Koregaon (BK) case for allegedly being part of the larger conspiracy to cause unrest. The inhuman and insincere act of the NIA authorities in arresting Fr. Stan stands out for its sheer vindictiveness for Fr. Stan fully cooperated with the Investigating officers of the NIA when they questioned him in the Jesuit Residence in Bagaicha for over 15 hours, on July 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th and 6th August. Despite his advanced age and other age related ailments, Fr. Stan patiently answered all queries put to him. It should be noted that Fr. Stanas residence was raided on 28th August, 2018 by the Pune Police then in charge of the BK case and his laptop, tablet, camera etc were seized. PUCL states that the arrest of Fr. Stan by the NIA is malicious and spiteful as Fr. Stan has consistently denied any link with extremist leftist forces or Maoists. He had also clearly told the NIA that some so-called extracts allegedly taken from his computer shown to him by the NIA were fake and fabricated and that he disowned them. What also exposes the NIA action as motivated is revealed by the fact that in October, 2018, the police told the Bombay HC that Fr. Stan was only a suspect and not an accused. Thereafter, for 6 weeks after he was questioned the NIA kept quiet. Now as the 6 month period for completing investigation after the arrest of Gautam Navalakha and Anand Teltumbde on 14th April, 2020 is approaching, the NIA wants to arrest Fr. Stan Swamy and possibly other activists under the completely fabricated and non-existent conspiracy of Bhima Koregaon case. PUCL would like to point out that the true reason for NI arresting Fr. Stan Swamy today is because he had dared to expose the large scale abuse of anti-terror and sedition laws by the previous BJP-led Jharkhand government. Thousands of Adivasis were falsely implicated and arrested for exercising their fundamental right of protest in the Pathalgadi movement and kept in prison without hearing. Fr. Stanas meticulous documentation of the untold suffering experienced by Adivasi youth, hundreds of whom were imprisoned for no offence at all, earned the ire of the police and the State which launched a witch hunt against Fr. Stan and some others in the human rights movement in Jharkhand. The data analysis of thousands of adivasis arbitrarily arrested by the police was also put in an affidavit in a PIL filed before the Jharkhand High Court which upset the Government. Fr. Stan has always professed his commitment to the Constitution of India and peaceful means of expressing dissent while questioning abuse of power by state executive and police. Through the arrest of Fr. Stan, the NIA is yet again sending a message to the rest of the human rights community that there is no level to which they will not stoop to silence and crush dissent. PUCL demands that the NIA immediately release Fr. Stan Swamy and refrain from carrying out these arbitrary and motivated arrests of innocent law-abiding citizens. Sd/- Mr. Ravi Kiran Jain, President, PUCL Dr. V. Suresh, General Secretary, PUCL President Moon Jae-in delivers a speech to the Korea Society gala via a pre-recorded video, Thursday. The President again brought up the issue of declaring an end to the Korean War, following his message at the U.N. General Assembly last month. Yonhap By Do Je-hae President Moon Jae-in renewed his push for a declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War during an online speech to the Korea Society, Thursday, although the same proposal made in a speech at the online United Nations General Assembly last month failed to capture attention either domestically or internationally. Following the North's shooting death of a South Korea official last month, the public has become critical of Moon's persistent focus on engagement with North Korea. But the President did not hesitate to again publicly propose the end-of-war declaration, the promise of which was one of the highlights of his first summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at Panmunjeom in April 2017. During his speech to the society, Moon called on the U.S. to work toward declaring an end to the war. "I hope that our two countries can work toward the end-of-war declaration and draw active participation from the international community in this regard," Moon said. "This year marks the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. At the U.N. General Assembly, I restated before the international community that the war on the Korean Peninsula must end, completely and for good. The end-of-war declaration will indeed pave the way for peace on the Korean Peninsula." Despite the criticism that his peace endeavors have not resulted in any concrete outcome, he also reiterated that previous efforts were not in vain. "There has been substantive progress made in the peace process on the Korean Peninsula thanks to the inter-Korean and U.S.-North Korea summits in 2018 and 2019," Moon said. While his peace process is seen as a policy in the right direction for the peninsula, criticism still remains that the call for the declaration is not only ill-timed, but underlines a glaring discrepancy in the ideals held by Moon and the realistic views held by the international community. Some experts see Moon's actions as impatience as he enters the twilight of his five-year presidency next year. Lee Seong-hyon, director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the Sejong Institute, noted Cheong Wa Dae's lack of attention to the situations of the primary parties involved the U.S., North Korea, and China which are all preoccupied with their own political priorities and their respective fights against the COVID-19 pandemic. "The U.S. is not interested in an end-of-war declaration," Lee told The Korea Times. "There is a lot motivation from Seoul, but it lacks any corresponding strategy and tactics. With just a year-and-a-half remaining, it will become increasingly harder for the Moon administration to maintain momentum for the President's peace process." Others experts also point out that it was too hasty and undiplomatic for Seoul to mention the declaration without sufficient consultations with the U.S. and other parties involved, such as China, both signatories to the armistice. With the U.S. presidential election less than a month away, Washington is not in a place to consider the situation on the peninsula. China also has a crucial political event at the end of the month and is not thinking about helping South Korea, a U.S. ally, achieve its political goals, according to a diplomatic source. The fifth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) will take place from Oct. 26 to 29 to outline Beijing's national priorities and economic development plans for the next five years. North Korea is also primarily focused on the pandemic and has ignored the South's offers. But presidential aides say Moon cannot stop pursuing the declaration. "The declaration is a key element for the peace process on the peninsula. The President's message on the declaration is about where we should be headed in the future regarding inter-Korean relations," a senior presidential aide said Thursday. Some still retain the view that a declaration ending the war can be a first step toward reconciliation and reducing tension on the peninsula, and therefore, critical for a real breakthrough in deadlocked inter-Korean relations and U.S.-North Korea denuclearization talks. "The declaration ending the war may be a piece of paper, but it will still be a political symbol. The Moon administration is trying to undertake the declaration and denuclearization at the same time," an international relations expert said. "The end-of-war declaration is included in the Panmunjeom Declaration, which is the key basis of Moon's policy on peninsula issues. So he has no other choice but to continue to pursue its implementation." 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. Although some discussion could be expected at the Oct. 21 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, most likely any full public debate on a cannabis dispensary will not take place until the Nov. 18 meeting, said Kyle Kordell, assistant to Village Manager Ray Keller. A child smelling fish. Credit: Jon Gustafsson, deCODE Genetics - Amgen Inc For many people, the smell of fish is rather strong and unpleasant. But some people carry a mutation in a particular gene that makes that fish odor less intense, reports a paper publishing October 8 in the journal Current Biology. The study, which is the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) of olfactory genes in humans involving a sniff test and looked at over 9,000 people from Iceland, also shows that people vary in their ability to discern the smell of licorice and cinnamon. "We discovered sequence variants that influence how we perceive and describe fish, licorice, and cinnamon odors," said Rosa Gisladottir of deCODE Genetics in Reykjavik, Iceland. "Since our sense of smell is very important for the perception of flavor, these variants likely influence whether we like food containing these odors." Researchers have known that people perceive odors based on olfactory receptors encoded by 855 olfactory genes. But about half of those genes in people are thought to lack function, leaving us with a relatively small repertoire of about 400 olfactory genes. The reason humans have lost so many olfactory genes has remained mysterious. It is also not well understood how variation in these genes might influence differences among people in their sense of smell. To explore this in the new study, Gisladottir and her colleagues including Kari Stefansson, also of deCODE, enlisted 9,122 Icelanders in a GWAS in search of variants that influence odor perception. To do it, they asked study participants to smell odors presented to them in pen-like devices that released a particular scent when uncapped. After sniffing each odor "pen," the researchers asked them to name the smell. Participants also rated the intensity and pleasantness of the smell. Those odors included key ingredients found in licorice, cinnamon, fish, lemon, peppermint, and banana. A participant in the smell test. Credit: Jon Gustafsson, deCODE Genetics - Amgen Inc Their search turned up variants in three genes or genetic loci of interest, which they were able to confirm in a separate sample of 2,204 Icelanders. One of them is in a non-canonical olfactory receptor gene called trace amine-associated receptor 5 (TAAR5). The TAAR5 variant affects perception of fish odor containing trimethylamine, a compound found in rotten and fermented fish, as well as other animal odors and various bodily secretions. In the smell tests, people with a particular variant of this gene were more likely to not smell anything when presented with the fish odor or to use descriptors for it that were neutral or positive and not seafood related, such as "potatoes," "caramel," and "rose." The findings are the first to show an important role for this gene in people, the researchers say. "Carriers of the variant find the fish odor less intense, less unpleasant, and are less likely to name it accurately," Gisladottir said. "There is a lot of animal research on TAAR5 in relation to its role in hard-wired aversive responses to trimethylamine. Our findings extend the implications of this research to human odor perception and behavior." The other two discoveries were found in more typical and common olfactory gene variants. They influenced an individual's ability to name licorice and cinnamon odors. They also influenced the intensity and pleasantness associated with those odors. "We discovered a common variant in a cluster of olfactory receptors which is associated with increased sensitivity to trans-anethole, found in black licorice products but also in spices and plants such as anise seed, star anise, and fennel," Gisladottir said. "Carriers of the variant find the licorice odor more intense, more pleasant, and can name it more accurately. Interestingly, the variant is much more common in East Asia than in Europe." The scent pens used in the smell test. Credit: Jon Gustafsson, deCODE Genetics - Amgen Inc The cinnamon variant influenced the perception of trans-cinnamaldehyde, the major ingredient in both Chinese and Ceylon cinnamon. Carriers of the variant can name the cinnamon odor more accurately, they report. They also find it more intense. Overall, the findings show that variation in olfactory genes influences odor perception in humans. They also show that, while humans have fewer olfactory genes compared to other species, some of the genetic variation that people do carry makes them more sensitive to particular smells such as licorice or cinnamon, not less. "When coupled with evidence for geographical differences in allele frequencies, this raises the possibility that the portion of the extensive sequence diversity found in human olfactory receptor genes that affects our sense of smell is still being honed by natural selection," the researchers wrote. The researchers say they will continue to collect data on odor perception in people. They also plan to use the same olfactory tasks to investigate smell deficits in the context of COVID-19. Explore further Study finds odor-sensing neuron regeneration process is adaptive More information: Current Biology, Gisladottir et al.: "Sequence variants in TAAR5 and other loci affect human odor perception and naming" DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.09.012 Journal information: Current Biology , Gisladottir et al.: "Sequence variants in TAAR5 and other loci affect human odor perception and naming" www.cell.com/current-biology/f 0960-9822(20)31343-9 During the meeting, Barsa announced that the US is contributing an additional $22.8 million to support economic growth in Egypt and empower women, as part of a five-year agreement. Egypt and USAID have approved the notion of expanding a strategic partnership through seven agreements signed during 2020 that are worth $112 million. The action came during a meeting held on Thursday between Egypts Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat and the Head of USAID John Barsa, during his first visit to Egypt, at the Ministrys headquarters. US Ambassador to Egypt Jonathan Cohen, Director of the USAID office in Egypt Leslie Reed and Senior Adviser at the US National Security Council Sarah McCain were among those present. Al-Mashat said that cooperating with USAID reflects a strategic partnership between Egypt and the US, and comes within the framework of the ministrys efforts to enhance economic diplomacy. We are pleased to announce that the US is contributing an additional $22.8 million to support economic growth in Egypt and empower women, as part of a five-year agreement to advance economic growth that benefits the nation," said Barsa. "The US looks forward to continuing our partnership to support effective and transparent public institutions, empower women and youth, encourage cooperation between different religious communities, and ensure all Egyptians benefit from basic services, he added. For his part, US Ambassador Cohen said that over the past 40 years, the US has invested more than $30 billion in to Egypt's development. We helped provide water and sanitation services to more than 25 million Egyptians, helped digitize and develop the communications sector, bring electricity to millions of Egyptian homes and companies, preserve historical sites, help farmers, build thousands of schools, train more than 100,000 teachers, and eradicate polio. In Egypt, among other contributions. We will continue our support to propel Egypt into a prosperous future, Cohen added. Cooperation portfolio of the USAID with Egypt has exceeded $30 billion since 1978, in various sectors; most notably health, population and education, while the projects portfolio, signed since 2014, amount to about $800 million, including $72.5 million for the agriculture sector. Search Keywords: Short link: 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 Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/08/2020 -- Barbados cherries Malpighia punicifolia (Acerola) are small-sized fruits of Caribbean origin, it contains up to 65 times more vitamin C (ascorbic acid) than orange. It is been used in the Amazon as medicinal plant for hundreds of years. Sometimes a single Barbados cherry contains 1000 to 2000 mg of vitamin C, the minimum daily recommended vitamin C requirements. Vitamin A is another important nutrient found in the Barbados Cherries. Vitamin A is involved in immune function, vision and reproduction. It also plays an important role in the maintenance of the kidneys, aids in weight loss, manages diabetes, prevent cancer, delays sign of ageing, boost the immune system, promotes heart health, promotes good digestion, promotes eye health, improve skin condition and many more. Ripe cherries must be carefully handled to avoid bruising and should be used as soon as possible or frozen for future use. Ripe Barbados cherries bruise easily and are highly perishable. The stem and bark of Barbados cherries contain high amount of tannin and has been utilized in leather industry. Barbados cherries has been used extensively in food, bakery, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals etc. which is expected to fuel the growth of Barbados cherries market. Request for Report Sample @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=34943 Barbados cherries Market: Segmentation Barbados cherries market can be segmented on the basis of nature, by form, end-use applications and region. On the basis of nature, Barbados cherries market can be segmented into conventional and organic. Organic segment is expected to expand with significant CAGR as demand for organic products is increasing among consumers. Barbados cherries market can be further segmented on the basis of form into raw cherries, powder cherries, liquid cherries and jams. Demand of powder cherries is expected to increase due to extensively used in bakery and confectionery industry. Barbados cherries market can be further segmented on the basis of end-use application into pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics and others. Food is further sub-segmented into bakery and confectionery, jams, desserts and ice-creams, syrups etc. On the basis of region, Barbados cherries market can be segmented into five key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East and Africa. Barbados cherries Market: Drivers, Restraints, and Trends Owing to developed taste for cherries among individuals across the globe, Barbados cherries market is expected to grow in terms of revenue across the globe. Barbados cherries have wide range of benefits, which is expected to fuel growth of the market. Individuals are getting health conscious and inclined to consume natural food products, which will expand the Barbados cherries market over the forecast period. Increasing demand for Barbados cherries in food, bakery, confectionery etc. is also expected to expand the Barbados cherries market. Weak distribution channel in some of the untapped markets is expected to hamper the sales of Barbados cherries, which could be considered as a restraint for Barbados cherries market. Cherries is trending across the globe as people are inclined towards the taste of cherries and this trend is expected to continue over the forecast period. Explore Transparency Market Research'S Award-Winning Coverage of the Global Industry @ https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/growing-overseas-power-generation-activities-to-provide-impetus-to-development-of-global-offshore-corrosion-protection-market-valuation-to-rise-up-to-us-13-bn-by-2030-find-tmr-864274242.html Barbados cherries Market: Regional Outlook Depending on the geographic regions, global Barbados cherries market is segmented into five key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, APAC, and MEA. In terms of consumption, Europe holds the largest share of Barbados cherries market followed by North America which also possess a large Barbados cherries market. Latin America comes after North America in terms of consumption. Asia Pacific Barbados cherries market is expected to grow at significant rate in terms of consumption during the forecast period because people getting aware of benefits of cherries and increasingly developing the taste for the same. The Middle East and Africa is expected to grow in the forecast period as disposable income is increasing in the region. Population around the globe is developing the taste for cherries which is expected to increase the sales for Barbados cherries market over the forecast period. Request for Covid-19 Impact Analysis @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=covid19&rep_id=34943 Barbados cherries Market: Key Players Some of the prominent manufacturers of Barbados cherries are Diva Agro LTD, Coral Beach Farms Ltd, SAS SICA SICODIS, PROTO and other regional players. Ive always dealt with a lot of different forms and manifestations of anxiety. Im in a stage of my life right now where Im really trying to heal from a lot of stuff. And this kind of environment is really nurturing for me, she said. A typical day for Marcloid now includes waking up by 7 a.m. After feeding the cats and making coffee, shell often sit on her front stoop and watch the neighboring squirrels and chipmunks eat food she sets out for them. By 9 or 10 a.m., she returns to her home studio and works on and off on a mix of personal and freelance projects until 9 p.m. NEW YORK Protesters gathered for a second night in New York on Wednesday in defiance of new shutdown orders in some of the city's neighborhoods that have seen concerning spikes in new COVID-19 cases in recent weeks. Orthodox Jewish protesters gathered en masse in Brooklyn, some with masks and others without, decrying new restrictions from Gov. Andrew Cuomo that would close nonessential businesses and schools and limit the size of religious gatherings. The new lockdown orders were issued for parts of Queens, Brooklyn and the city's suburbs that have disproportionately contributed to new virus cases in recent weeks, and some of those areas are home to large populations of the Orthodox Jewish community. The new measures also come amid the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, contributing to the anger from some of those in the Orthodox community. Photos and videos of the Wednesday night protest showed crowds dancing in the street and waving campaign flags for President Donald Trump. However, a reporter, Jacob Kornbluh of Jewish Insider, said he was "brutally assaulted" after being targeted in the protest by a vocal critic of the lockdown orders. Kornbluh said he was "hit in the head, and kicked at by an angry crowd of hundreds of community members." Kornbluh, who is Jewish, said he was also called Nazi and Hitler. At Heschys urging, the crowd just surrounded and attacked journalist @jacobkornbluh. They pinned him against a wall and shouted moyser (snitch) as NYPD lost control of the situation. Really scary scene. Jacob is a pro pic.twitter.com/783MqbzTBe Jake Offenhartz (@jangelooff) October 8, 2020 New York Police Department said in an email to USA TODAY that no arrests were made or summonses issued for violations of COVID-19 restrictions. Story continues Crowds also gathered Tuesday to protest the new restrictions. Fires were lit to burn masks and at least two people were injured, according to local news outlet Gothamist. Addressing concerns that the lockdown restrictions were singling out the Orthodox community, Cuomo said earlier Wednesday that the cluster boundaries were driven entirely by data. However, he acknowledged that some were critical of his decision. "To the extent, there are communities that are upset, thats because they havent been following the original rules and thats why the infection spread because they werent following the rules and they werent being enforced," he said. "Thats why we are where we are, make no mistake." Mayor Bill de Blasio, who had proposed new shutdowns to the state on Sunday based on ZIP codes, defended the governor's plan to limit gatherings in houses of worship. "We know that we've got to get out of this and we've got to get out of it quickly. No one wants to see a full resurgence, a second wave in New York City. If we get a second wave, then a lot more will be shut down for a lot longer," de Blasio told reporters Wednesday. Nine ZIP codes have seen test positivity levels rise above 3% on a seven-day average, de Blasio said. The city is also watching a dozen other ZIP codes that are nearing that number, too. The mayor proposed shutdowns based on those ZIP codes, but Cuomo instead issued the orders on a tiered cluster system. The closer to the center of the cluster, the tougher the restrictions. In "red" zones, the areas with the highest levels of the virus, houses of worship will be limited to 25% capacity or 10 people maximum; mass gatherings prohibited; no nonessential businesses; dining can be takeout only; schools would be online only. Those new restrictions will apply to five COVID-19 clusters across the state, including two in Queens and one each in Brooklyn, Rockland County and Orange County. In response to Cuomo's order, four Orthodox lawmakers from Brooklyn state Sen. Simcha Felder, Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein and New York City Council Members Chaim Deutsch and Kalman Yeger wrote a letter Tuesday to the governor accusing him of a "duplicitous bait and switch" by clamping down harder on houses of worship than they said they anticipated. "It is disgraceful that Governor Cuomo would impose these restrictions targeting our community in the midst of our Jewish holidays," the lawmakers said. "Because of his unilateral and irresponsible acts, our community is rightfully shocked, angered and highly frustrated." Rabbi David Zwiebel, executive vice president of an Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization called Agudath Israel of America, told the Associated Press that the limits "would basically wipe out the entirety of the spirit of the holiday." The restrictions mark the first rollback in the reopening of New York City, once the epicenter of the virus and later heralded for its response in stamping it out. The new measures also come after the city had just reached two major milestones in reopening: the return of indoor dining and the start of a new school year with students present for in-person classes several days a week. At the height of the pandemic in New York City, some 5,000 new cases were added each day with more than 500 deaths a day. But the city had seen a steady decline in cases and deaths since mid-April, and by the end of the summer, fewer than 250 new cases a day were being added on average. The hotspot clusters, however, have sparked worries of a second wave that will spread to other neighborhoods. Those areas account for less than 8% of the city's population but have made up a quarter of its new cases citywide over the past two weeks, according to the city's health department. Communities across the country have also seen anti-lockdown protests this year, many denouncing mask mandates and restrictions on gatherings. Contributing: Joseph Spector and Jon Campbell, New York State Team This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New York COVID-19 restrictions from Cuomo spark Orthodox protests YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. French reporter of Le-Monde Allan Kaval , who was critically injured by Azerbaijani bombing of Martuni city, presented details of the incident and thanked everyone who had a contribution to saving his life. ARMENPRESS reports Allan Kaval wrote on his Facebook page that on October 1 together with his colleague reporter Hermine Virabyan, photo journalist Rafael Yaghobzadeh were doing their professional job in Martuni, a town in Artsakh not far away from the contact line, when Azerbaijan started the bombardment of the town. It was midday and walking in a street we suddenly heard the voice of Grad missiles fired from Azerbaijani positions in our direction. They were bombing the city and fire and pieces of metal were dropping on us like rain. Grisha Narinyan, an employee at Martuni city hall, who was showing us the places of previous attacks, died. He was 28 years old. I am thinking about him and his family every day. Grisha died, since he wanted the world to hear about the sufferings of his people. May he rest in peace with the three other civilians killed in that bombing, he wrote. My colleague Hermine, whom I greatly appreciate, fortunately was able to avoid injuries. If I understand properly, dozens of fragments had appeared inside my body, he wrote, adding that he is in the stage of recovery. But I would be unable to write all this if there were not the people who save me in Martuni, Stepanakert, Yerevan and Paris. Some of them are famous, some are my friends, some were people whom I never knew. Among them there were residents of Martuni, who played a decisive role in the first minutes trying to take us to a safe place. I want to also thank my colleague reporters, who took me from there to the hospital of the town. I want to thank also my other colleagues who were there and informed Paris about the situation. I am particularly thankful to Hermine and Regis Gente. I want to thank the entire medical staff of Martuni hospital who allocated their time to save the lives of two foreigners at a time when their town was being bombed. I want to thank the people who took me from Martuni to Stepanakert hospital with an old-fashioned ambulance by a difficult-to-pass road. I know how much efforts the doctors of Stepanakert made for saving my life. I havent had time to learn their names yet, but I am deeply grateful to each of them. I am also deeply grateful to the authorities of Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia and France, who ensured our transportation by a helicopter to Yerevan. Of course, all this would be impossible without the role of the French President Macron, who publicly spoke about our case and did impossible to take us out, also without Foreign Minister of France Jean-Yves Le Drian, French reporter of Le-Monde Allan Kaval wrote. Earlier today a Russian reporter was critically injured by Azerbaijani bombing in another town of Artsakh, Shushi. He, together with his colleague reporters was covering the consequences of an Azerbaijani strike against famous Ghazanchetsots Church, when the church was again bombed. The doctors are still struggling for his life. Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan Is Japan Travel in October a good time? A Typhoon is coming, the third in the last month and wonat be the last, but itas not all bad. October is still still one of the best months to visit. What are some other things to know about when traveling to Japan during typhoon season. - ONLY in JAPAN Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 17:27:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MALE, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Maldives has received 520 million U.S. dollars in grants and concessional loans from countries and international institutions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, local media reported here Thursday. Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer was quoted by the state-owned Public Service Media as saying that the government has been working with bilateral partners and international institutions to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on local economy. Speaking in the parliament, Ameer said that the government budget for 2021 will feature significant investment in the fisheries and agriculture sectors in order to reduce the island country's dependence on tourism, while investment on social services such as healthcare will also be emphasized. The minister said that projections for income received through grants have been revised from 1.94 billion U.S. dollars down to 908 million U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, debt is projected to rise to 778 million U.S. dollars. Ameer said that basic public services will sustain despite a low revenue, and that the country's development projects will continue despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Enditem 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. An Indiana man was arrested Wednesday for the 2014 murder of an Illinois teen whose body was found nearly three years ago in a shallow grave. Brodey Ian Murbarger, 24, of Evansville, Indiana, was taken into custody outside his place of employment and transported to the Vanderburgh County Jail, according to a press release issued by the Vanderburgh County Sheriffs Office this week. A search warrant was also executed at Murbargers home at the Lakewood West apartment complex in Evansville, Indiana. Brodey Ian Murbarger (Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office) Murbarger faces a murder charge after an Illinois grand jury indicted him on September 25, 2020, in connection with Megan Nichols' disappearance and murder, the press release stated. Megan, who was featured in Datelines digital series Missing in America shortly after she vanished, was initially considered a missing person. As Dateline previously reported, the 15-year-old was last seen on July 3, 2014, at her home in Fairfield, Illinois, where she lived with her mother and stepfather. Megans mother, Kathy Jo Hutchcraft, discovered her daughter missing from her room around 11 p.m. Dateline reported that she later found a note Megan reportedly left behind, telling her that she loved her, but she would never be happy at home. According to authorities, prior to her disappearance, Megan withdrew money from a local bank while on her bicycle. She had left her cell phone behind at the house. It had been wiped clean. While authorities first considered Megan a runaway, according to Dateline, her family didnt agree. Megan Nichols (Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office) Her whereabouts remained a mystery for three years until human remains were found on December 26, 2017. The remains were found in a rural location in Wayne County, Illinois, FBI Public Information Officer Brad Ware previously told Dateline. One month later, on January 26, 2018, authorities positively identified the remains as belonging to Megan. Megans friend, Holden August, told NBC affiliate WFIE that her disappearance and death took a while to digest for him and his classmates. Story continues When youre hanging up a poster with your friends picture on it, thats when its like, Oh, this is real, Holden said. He added that theres a bit of relief now that an arrest has been made. Its one of those things where you kind of always knew it was him," Hold told WFIE. According to the Navigator Journal, Megan and Brodey Murbarger had previously dated. But FBI Public Information Officer Brad Ware could not confirm these details to Dateline due to the case being an ongoing investigation. According to court documents, Brodey Murbarger was indicted on three counts of first degree murder, one count of concealment of homicidal death and two counts of home invasion. The documents show hes accused of strangling and suffocating Megan and burying her in a shallow grave. The FBI, along with many law enforcement organizations, including the Vanderburgh County Sheriffs Office and the Evansville Police Department, continue to investigate Megans case. No further details were released. If you have any information regarding the circumstances of Megans death, please contact the FBI at (217) 522-9675. Question raised over disclosure of envoy's defection The belated disclosure of the defection of a high-ranking North Korean diplomat to South Korea has raised questions about whether the authorities are doing their best to ensure his personal security and prevent his family in the North from suffering persecution. Critics argue that politicians should have kept the defection of Jo Song-gil, the North's former acting ambassador to Italy, secret. His arrival in South Korea was made public Tuesday when a local broadcaster reported it. Rep. Ha Tae-keung of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), a member of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee, confirmed it on Facebook. On Wednesday, Rep. Jeon Hae-cheol, the chairman of the committee and a member of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), acknowledged Jo's defection. According to him, Jo defected to the South in July 2019. "He had repeatedly expressed his wish to come to South Korea," Jeon said. Jo made headlines across the world in November 2018 when he disappeared while serving as the North's acting ambassador in Rome just before his term expired. He was widely reported to be seeking asylum in a third country. But he finally chose to begin a new life with his wife in the South. Jo's defection must be good news for South Korea. He is seen as the highest ranking former North Korean official to seek asylum here since Hwang Jang-yop, the former secretary of the North's ruling Workers' Party, defected to the South in 1997. He is also the first ambassador-level Pyongyang official to settle in the South since Kim Jong-un took power in 2011. However, the Moon Jae-in administration kept quiet on Jo's defection. It is still refusing to officially confirm it for several reasons. Firstly, Jo wanted to keep his defection low key to protect his daughter and other family members living in North Korea. His teenage daughter was repatriated from Italy to the North in February 2019. Not only his daughter but also his father and father-in-law could suffer under the iron-fisted rule of the reclusive regime if news of Jo's defection to the South was made public. Secondly, the administration did not want to jeopardize President Moon's active engagement policy with North Korea. It goes without saying that the revelation of Jo's defection would negatively affect Moon's peace initiative on the peninsula, as well as aggravating inter-Korean relations. It was appropriate for the government to remain silent on the issue. More importantly, the authorities should do everything they can to protect North Korean defectors and help them lead a decent life here without having to worry about their personal security. In this regard, Reps. Ha and Jeon should have been more cautious about making news of Jo's defection public. Some pundits may argue that more details about Jo's asylum-seeking should be disclosed to respect the public's right to know. But it is desirable for the government and the media to maintain a low-key position in order to better protect Jo and his family. Such a position is also required not to provoke the Kim Jong-un regime which is undergoing difficulties arising from international sanctions, COVID-19 and floods. This episode is taking place at a time when inter-Korean relations have hit a snag. It also comes after a South Korean fisheries official was shot dead by North Korean military personnel in the West Sea last month. Some people are criticizing the lawmakers for trying to divert the public's attention from the government's failure to prevent the death of the official. But we should not go too far. The Moon administration should strive to prevent South-North relations from deteriorating further. 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 Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Austpac Resources N.L. (ASX:APG) by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex. Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model. See our latest analysis for Austpac Resources Step by step through the calculation We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Seeing as no analyst estimates of free cash flow are available to us, we have extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the company's last reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 Levered FCF (A$, Millions) AU$309.2k AU$313.2k AU$318.1k AU$323.8k AU$330.0k AU$336.7k AU$343.8k AU$351.2k AU$358.8k AU$366.7k Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ 0.87% Est @ 1.29% Est @ 1.58% Est @ 1.78% Est @ 1.93% Est @ 2.03% Est @ 2.1% Est @ 2.15% Est @ 2.18% Est @ 2.2% Present Value (A$, Millions) Discounted @ 8.3% AU$0.3 AU$0.3 AU$0.3 AU$0.2 AU$0.2 AU$0.2 AU$0.2 AU$0.2 AU$0.2 AU$0.2 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = AU$2.0m Story continues After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.3%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 8.3%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2030 (1 + g) (r g) = AU$367k (1 + 2.3%) (8.3% 2.3%) = AU$6.2m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= AU$6.2m ( 1 + 8.3%)10= AU$2.8m The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is AU$4.8m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of AU$0.002, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. dcf The assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Austpac Resources as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 8.3%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.011. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. Looking Ahead: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For Austpac Resources, we've compiled three essential elements you should explore: Risks: For example, we've discovered 5 warning signs for Austpac Resources (2 make us uncomfortable!) that you should be aware of before investing here. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! Other Top Analyst Picks: Interested to see what the analysts are thinking? Take a look at our interactive list of analysts' top stock picks to find out what they feel might have an attractive future outlook! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Australian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Even though South Africa has been moved to COVID-19 alert level 1, coronavirus cases are still being confirmed daily. Restaurants must therefore adhere to a long list of strict regulations, including limiting the number of patrons on their premises at a given time. South Africans are also still required to wear cloth masks in public places, use hand sanitiser, and are encouraged to maintain social distancing. These conditions can make it unpleasant to visit a restaurant, which is why the best, safest, and most convenient option is to order food from your favourite Pizza Perfect and get it delivered right to your door. Since lockdown level 4 Pizza Perfect got back to normal trading hours, offering its delicious food to customers. The fast food favourite offers its own dedicated delivery service to get your food delivered to you in no time. To ensure the safety of its staff and customers, Pizza Perfect is adhering to strict hygiene protocols, while making use of medical-grade hand and surface sanitisers. This means customers can rest assured that their food is being prepared in a clean and sanitised environment, with great care taken and safety in mind. Lockdown Loaded Deal Levelled Up As our country moved to Level 1, Pizza Perfect decided to Level up its Lockdown Loaded Deal. Pizza Perfect is currently running its Lockdown Loaded Deal Levelled Up, which will satisfy your tastebuds, and help you protect yourself and others from the spread of COVID-19. With this offer, customers can buy two large classic pizzas, 4 desserts, and a 2L cooldrink* and now get 2 free desserts extra. They will also receive a free 50ml bottle of hand sanitiser and a 3-ply collectable face mask for R289. We value our customers support and want to do our part in keeping them safe during these times, said Steven Psillos from Pizza Perfect. The delicious new desserts are offered in three flavours jelly & custard, chocolate mousse and creme caramel (promotion differs at Halaal stores). If you cant find a classic pizza for your taste, you can upgrade to a deluxe option at only R10 extra per pizza. Click here to visit pizzaperfect.co.za to find your nearest store to order from. Visuals are for depiction purposes only. Prices subject to change without notice. To view Ts & Cs, visit pizzaperfect.co.za. El presidente @MartinVizcarraC preside la ceremonia de conmemoracion por el 199. aniversario de la Marina de Guerra del Peru y el 141. aniversario del Combate Naval de Angamos. En vivo: https://t.co/U1juwf2n6a#199AniversarioMGP #141AniversariodelCombatedeAngamos pic.twitter.com/SHoPlu5uKm SALT LAKE CITY A tech worker pleaded guilty on Wednesday to strangling a Utah college student whose disappearance over a year ago sparked a search that ended with the discovery of her charred remains in his backyard. Ayoola A. Ajayi acknowledged he planned the death of 23-year-old Mackenzie Lueck, whom he met on a dating app and arranged to meet in a park. After they returned to his home, he bound and strangled her, then burned and hid her body while police and loved ones searched for her, his lawyer said in court. Ajayi pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and desecration of a corpse in an agreement with prosecutors that removed the possibility of the death penalty. Prosecutors dropped charges of aggravated kidnapping and obstructing justice. Ajayi also pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a different woman he met on a dating app. He is expected to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said the guilty pleas allow Lueck's parents to begin to get closure and a measure of justice." Gill said the family has asked for privacy. Lueck has been remembered as a bubbly, nurturing person who belonged to a sorority and was a part-time senior at the University of Utah studying kinesiology and pre-nursing. Image: Mackenzie Lueck (Rick Bowmer / AP file) She went missing in June 2019, after returning from a trip home to El Segundo, California, for her grandmothers funeral. Lueck had met Ajayi, 32, on the site Seeking Arrangement, which bills itself as a way for wealthy sugar daddies to meet women known as sugar babies, his lawyer said. She took a Lyft to meet him in a park, prosecutors have said. Her phone was turned off a minute after the last text and never turned back on. Ajayi planned the slaying before the meeting at the park and turned off the video in his home-security system before he left to meet her, his lawyer Neal Hamilton said. When they returned to his Salt Lake City home, Ajayi tied her up and began to choke her. She tried to stop him, after which he put a belt around her neck, pushed her onto her stomach and strangled her, the attorney said. Story continues Ajayi then burned her body and buried it in his backyard, Hamilton said. After detectives came to his door to question him, he dug her up and buried her in a shallow grave in a canyon nearly 100 miles north of Salt Lake City. The search for Lueck went on for nearly two weeks before some of her remains were discovered in Ajayis backyard and he was arrested. He later revealed the location of her body in Logan Canyon, where she was found with her arms bound behind her. A native of Nigeria, Ajayi held a green card that allows him to legally work and live in the U.S., prosecutors have said. He was an information technology worker who had stints with high-profile companies and was briefly in the Army National Guard. Authorities have not discussed a motive for the killing. Ajayi said little at Wednesdays hearing and occasionally hung his head. He was wearing an orange jail jumpsuit, glasses and blue surgical mask. He is expected to be formally sentenced Oct. 23. Ajayi also pleaded guilty to sexually abusing another woman he met on a dating app in 2018. They went to his house for dinner, and the abuse happened while they were watching television, he acknowledged. He pleaded guilty to forcible sexual abuse in that case. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed 19 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor related to child pornography allegedly discovered on his devices during the investigation into Lueck's death. Many investors are still learning about the various metrics that can be useful when analysing a stock. This article is for those who would like to learn about Return On Equity (ROE). We'll use ROE to examine Canadian Utilities Limited (TSE:CU), by way of a worked example. Return on equity or ROE is an important factor to be considered by a shareholder because it tells them how effectively their capital is being reinvested. In other words, it is a profitability ratio which measures the rate of return on the capital provided by the company's shareholders. View our latest analysis for Canadian Utilities How To Calculate Return On Equity? The formula for return on equity is: Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) Shareholders' Equity So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Canadian Utilities is: 9.8% = CA$674m CA$6.9b (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2020). The 'return' is the yearly profit. That means that for every CA$1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated CA$0.10 in profit. Does Canadian Utilities Have A Good Return On Equity? One simple way to determine if a company has a good return on equity is to compare it to the average for its industry. Importantly, this is far from a perfect measure, because companies differ significantly within the same industry classification. If you look at the image below, you can see Canadian Utilities has a similar ROE to the average in the Integrated Utilities industry classification (9.6%). roe So while the ROE is not exceptional, at least its acceptable. Although the ROE is similar to the industry, we should still perform further checks to see if the company's ROE is being boosted by high debt levels. If so, this increases its exposure to financial risk. Our risks dashboardshould have the 3 risks we have identified for Canadian Utilities. Why You Should Consider Debt When Looking At ROE Most companies need money -- from somewhere -- to grow their profits. That cash can come from retained earnings, issuing new shares (equity), or debt. In the first and second cases, the ROE will reflect this use of cash for investment in the business. In the latter case, the use of debt will improve the returns, but will not change the equity. In this manner the use of debt will boost ROE, even though the core economics of the business stay the same. Story continues Combining Canadian Utilities' Debt And Its 9.8% Return On Equity It's worth noting the high use of debt by Canadian Utilities, leading to its debt to equity ratio of 1.31. The combination of a rather low ROE and significant use of debt is not particularly appealing. Investors should think carefully about how a company might perform if it was unable to borrow so easily, because credit markets do change over time. Conclusion Return on equity is a useful indicator of the ability of a business to generate profits and return them to shareholders. In our books, the highest quality companies have high return on equity, despite low debt. If two companies have the same ROE, then I would generally prefer the one with less debt. Having said that, while ROE is a useful indicator of business quality, you'll have to look at a whole range of factors to determine the right price to buy a stock. Profit growth rates, versus the expectations reflected in the price of the stock, are a particularly important to consider. So you might want to take a peek at this data-rich interactive graph of forecasts for the company. But note: Canadian Utilities may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE 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. In a plotline nobody saw coming (let alone a movie being made about it) a young Bernie Sanders swears a blood oath to Joseph Stalin in the trailer for the upcoming satirical comedy, Free Lunch Express. The movie is clearly not trying to portray Sanders in a positive light. For example, at one point, a young Sanders can be seen in front of a propaganda poster of Stalin, saying, I totally pledge with this blood oath to dedicate my life to never picking up a dinner check, never donating to charity, and like in the glorious Soviet Union, making sure the government pays for everything. Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange, Star Trek: Generations, Halloween) serves as the films narrator. Aw, Bernie, bless his cotton socks, McDowell caps off the trailer by saying. Also Read: 'Bad President' Movie Trailer Features the Devil Coaching Donald Trump - and Stormy Daniels as Herself (Video) Theres really no way to properly describe Free Lunch Express, so here is how the producers sum up the film: Once upon a time lived a man in New England named Bernard Sanders. His friends called him Bernie. He was going to run for President of the United States of America and create great change for the people. He was going to make the world a better place. But his story actually begins in Brooklyn, 1953. Bullied as a youth, Bernie Sanders becomes interested in communism. Tired of the rich kids gloating their status in his face, he vows to never pay for another meal again. Its time for the government to pay for everything! As Bernie grows up, he is visited by the spirits of pioneering politicians, who guide him through the trenches of the political system and warn him of the dangers of the one percent. But nothing can deter Bernies dreams. His journeys through the decades takes him through marijuana-infused visits with Ben & Jerry, debates with Hillary Clinton and cocktails with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The path to the White House may be paved with good intentionsusually but Bernie Sanders has got a long and winding road to go if hes going to earn himself those free lunches. Story continues Also Read: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Nominates Bernie Sanders in DNC Remarks: Watch Here (Video) Free Lunch Express was written and directed by Lenny Britton (The World According to Billy Potwin, Precious Find, The Gnar), and produced by Britton, Sam Brittian (Redlands, And The Past Recedes, Labyrinths), and Brad Broyles (The World According to Billy Potwin, Fan Club News Done Right!). The film stars Sam Brittian (Redlands, And The Past Recedes, Labyrinths), Jonah Britton (The World According to Billy Potwin), Charles Hutchins ( The Connected), Robert William Campbell (Hawaii Five-O, Vice Principals), Laura Aleman (Runner Runner, Sol de Mediancoch), Don Frankel (The Bold and The Beautiful, When We Rise,), Alexander Aguila (Shameless), Jessica Jade Andres (Dont Worry He Wont Get Far on Foot, 9-1-1), Elaine Ballace (The MissAdventures of Camp Elaine), William Charlton (The Rum Diary, Money Train), Cynthia Kania (Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, Criminal Minds), Alycia Cooper (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Sudana Bobatoon (Vice Squad, Secret Agent 00 Soul), Ryan Cole (Veronica Mars), Anthony Traina (Shameless, Roman J Israel, Esq.), Kevin Sorbo (Let There Be Light, The Santa Suit), and Eric Roberts (Runaway Train, The Expendables, Inherent Vice). Read original story Young Bernie Sanders Makes a Blood Pact With Stalin in Satirical Comedy Free Lunch Express (Exclusive Trailer) At TheWrap Camper fire claims the life of two people in Marshall County 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. We know that the key to this commitment is a passionate, experienced and diverse array of staff, volunteers and members who value what everyone brings to the table, Zimmer wrote. We know this work is never complete and that we must continue to do all we can to listen, learn and act to build a better, stronger and more inclusive community. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia has issued the following statement regarding the targeting of the places of religious worship and cultural monuments in Shushi: "On October 8, the armed forces of Azerbaijan launched airstrikes at the masterpiece of the Armenian architecture - the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral located in the cultural capital of Artsakh, Shushi, causing significant damages. This is another crime of the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan, which reveals its inhuman essence. Nevertheless, this action fully fits into its policy of Armenophobia developed for decades. Azerbaijan, which has completely annihilated the Armenian cultural heritage in Nakhichevan and in other parts of the historical homeland of the Armenian people, now throughout the ongoing military aggression against Artsakh is trying to deprive Armenians of Artsakh of their homeland and historical memory. With these actions Azerbaijan replicates behaviour of its newly acquired allies - the infamous international terrorist organizations, who are responsible for destruction of the numerous historical-cultural monuments in the Middle East. We condemn in the strongest way this heinous crime of Azerbaijan is also a challenge to the whole civilized humanity. In this regard, we remind the Azerbaijani military-political authorities that targeting religious worship sites and cultural monuments is war crime as enshrined in international humanitarian law, the responsibility for which has no statute of limitations." Boris Johnson has been urged to put his cards on the table - PA Boris Johnson has been told that now is "the moment of truth", with just seven days left to reach a post-Brexit trade deal by the deadline. European Council president Charles Michel called on the Prime Minister to restore international trust in the UK, urging him to "put all the cards on the table". Speaking alongside Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin in Dublin, in a show of unity over Brexit and the Internal Market Bill, Mr Michel said: "To get to an agreement we need significant steps to be made by our British friends in the coming days, not only on fisheries but also the level-playing field and governance. "On other issues...progress has been made but its not enough. This is the moment of truth." Mr Johnson spoke with Mr Michel yesterday, when they agreed that negotiators should "work intensively in the coming days to try to bridge the gaps". The European Union's chief negotiator Michel Barnier is travelling to London this evening ahead of talks with UK counterpart Lord Frost tomorrow. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said that following the conclusion of talks on Friday they would resume in Brussels "early next week". Read the latest updates below 03:12 PM And that's it for another day... Boris Johnson put a toe in the water today, ahead of a further tightening of restrictions around the country. Pubs and restaurants could be closed in the worst affected parts of the country, with overnight stays banned in some areas, with the Prime Minister expected to unveil a new three-tier strategy on Monday. Story continues Although the traffic light system has been expected for some weeks, it appears likely it will be introduced alongside some pretty alarming new measures. Local leaders are up in arms, and ministers are talking to the key stakeholders this afternoon in a bid to bring them around before the restrictions come in. However, the pre-announcement briefing to newspapers, and the delay until they are confirmed, has ruffled more than a few feathers. And in our daily poll today, 68 per cent of you agreed that this approach was likely to lead to a "one last chance" rush to the pubs - further risking the spread of the virus. The Government also got a bruising in the Commons where former minister after former minister (and, indeed, a former prime minister) tore apart the planning reforms. With backbenchers like these, who needs Labour? Meanwhile the Prime Minister has been warned that it is now "the moment of truth" as we enter the last week before the Brexit talks deadline. That inbox isn't getting any smaller. I'll be back from 8am tomorrow for all the latest from Westminster and beyond. 02:53 PM Allegra Stratton will be 'much more than a spokesman', says Boris Johnson's former adviser Reaction is coming in after Allegra Stratton was confirmed as the new face of the Downing Street press briefings. The former BBC and ITV journalist was the frontrunner throughout the search, so her appointment has prompted little in the way of surprise. Guto Harri, who was Boris Johnson's director of external affairs back when he was Mayor of London, is among those to applaud the move. Great choice - a proper grown-up and professional ... wholl bring intellectual rigour, sound instinct, good judgment and the right tone to the heart of government. Suspect @HMTAllegra will be much more than a spokesman. https://t.co/t6eF26lhlk Guto Harri (@Guto_Harri) October 8, 2020 Even PoliticalPics has a rare kind word Allegra Stratton leaving No11 Downing St this lunchtime it was the smile that gave it away, The new PM spokesperson well deserved in my view always very bubbly and fun lets hope that remains high pressured big job pic.twitter.com/lAXqX7ddum PoliticalPics (@PoliticalPics) October 8, 2020 02:37 PM Pandemic is chance to reconsider operating model of top tier football, says senior Tory The Covid-19 pandemic is an opportunity to explore if the "current model of operating" is right in English football, a senior Tory MP said. Julian Knight, chairman of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, told the Commons: "The very existence of at least 10 to 15 of our professional clubs lies in the balance." He added: "Perhaps the bigger question here is what opportunities the pandemic presents to reshape our DCMS sectors. "It's a chance to look at competitions like the Premier League and decide how we want those competitions to look in the future. "We can explore whether the current model of operating is right for the UK and its many millions of football fans and whether the balance between the top tier and other tiers is fair." 02:20 PM Allegra Stratton named new face of Number 10 Former BBC and ITN journalist Allegra Stratton has been named as Downing Streets new press secretary. Ms Stratton, who has most recently been working for Chancellor Rishi Sunak, was the favourite throughout the hunt to find a new face for Number 10. The job carries a reported salary of 100,000. Allegra Stratton named the new face of Number 10 - Geoff Pugh It is not clear when she will start the new daily briefings, thought to be similar to the White House-style press conferences, but it could be as early as next month. It is expected this will replace one of the two regular lobby briefings that journalists receive behind closed doors. 02:08 PM Negotiators face 'challenging task' to secure Brexit deal in time, says Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin described the Brexit negotiations as "very challenging". Mr Martin said: "There needs to be movement in terms of getting into end-stage negotiations and we feel there's a lot of work to be done yet on a number of fronts, and it's quite a challenging task ahead of the negotiators to ensure that an agreement is arrived at." The Taoiseach was speaking alongside European Council President Charles Michel outside Farmleigh House in Dublin. 01:53 PM Further 43 people die in English hospitals with coronavirus A further 43 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 30,323. Patients were aged between 32 and 99 years old. All but one, aged 71, had known underlying health conditions. The dates of death range from 10 August to 7 October 2020, with the majority on or after 6 October. The worst-affected region was the North East & Yorkshire, where 13 people died, followed by the North West (11) and Midlands (10). There were six deaths recorded in London, two in the East of England and one in the South East. The South West continues to avoid fatalities. 01:22 PM Government 'treating North with contempt' says Andy Burnham The Government is "beginning to treat the North with contempt", the Mayor of Greater Manchester has said. Andy Burnham told a phone-in on BBC Radio Manchester that although he had been "having discussions with ministers this week. At no point did somebody say: we're closing all hospitality in the north of England on Monday." He said he was questioning what the point of having discussions was "if they're not going to be honest with us and you have to read it in a newspaper late at night." "My worry is, they're beginning to treat the North with contempt and it's my job to stand up to it," Mr Burnham added. Pointing to the newspapers' reports of new restrictions, he said: "There's going to have to be change if the Government wants our support for things. We're not going to let them carry on like this." Andy Burnham said ministers had given no indication of their plans during discussions this week - PA 01:12 PM Nicola Sturgeon says she has 'nothing to hide' over Alex Salmond inquiry Nicola Sturgeon has insisted she has "nothing to hide" in relation to the Alex Salmond inquiry, after being accused of misleading Parliament about when she first knew about allegations against him. The First Minister previously said she was first made aware of complaints against her predecessor when he told her in a meeting at her home on April 2, 2018, but it has since emerged that she was informed by Mr Salmond's former chief of staff Geoff Aberdein on March 29 that year. Mr Salmond was cleared of 13 charges of sexual assault, attempted rape and indecent exposure at the High Court in Edinburgh in March 2020. Conservatives' Holyrood leader Ruth Davidson challenged Ms Sturgeon over whether her claim to have forgotten was "credible". Ms Sturgeon said she the meeting "when Alex Salmond himself sat in my own home and gave me the details of the complaints that had been made against him and also gave me his response to aspects of those complaints" was what had been "seared in my memory" as the point she first knew. "Forgive me if that has somehow overwritten in my mind a much more fleeting, opportunistic meeting that took place a few days earlier, that is just how it is." But Ms Davidson said this explanation "does not even bear the lightest scrutiny", adding it is "beyond belief". Ruth Davidson listens to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon - Getty 12:53 PM Boris Johnson backs Dido Harding as Test and Trace figure drop again Boris Johnson has backed NHS Test and Trace chief Baroness Harding, after the operation recorded its worst week on record for the proportion of contacts it manages to trace. Some 68.6 per cent of close contacts of people who tested positive for Covid-19 in England were reached through the system in the week ending September 30, the lowest weekly percentage since Test and Trace began, and down from 72.5 per cent in the previous week. Asked if the Prime Minister had confidence in Baroness Harding, his spokesman said yes. "We have set up from scratch what is the biggest testing network in British history," he added. "Our laboratories are now processing over a million tests a week and we continue to announce new facilities and technology to process results even faster." The work of the system meant more than 500,000 people had been contacted and told to self-isolate "who may otherwise have unknowingly passed on the virus". Head of NHS Test and Trace Dido Harding - AFP 12:48 PM Lobby latest: Michel Barnier coming to London for Brexit talks The European Union's chief negotiator Michel Barnier will travel to London on Thursday evening ahead of talks with UK counterpart Lord Frost on Friday, Downing Street said. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said that following the conclusion of talks on Friday they would resume in Brussels "early next week". But with just a week to go until the European Council summit set by Boris Johnson as the deadline for whether a deal can be reached, there are no plans for the negotiators to continue discussions over the weekend. The Prime Minister's spokesman said: "We have been perfectly clear about the need to work towards the October 15 European Council. The EU has agreed to intensified talks, those have been taking place this week and you will see more of them next week." 12:36 PM Officials fear 'one last party' weekend before expected tighter coronavirus restrictions Local leaders have warned that people will see this weekend as "their last chance before Christmas" to have a party, as they attack the Government for dragging its heels on new restrictions in England. David Mellen, leader of Nottingham City Council, told Radio 4's Today programme that even though the city had "very high numbers" they now had to "wait until next week for the Government to bring in what we expect to be new restrictions". As well as that allowing the virus extra time to spread, that could mean "people think 'this is our last chance before Christmas' and go have a party," Mr Mellen said. "We can't have that." Other local leaders attacked Downing Street for having briefed journalists about the new measures several days before an announcement is due. Boris Johnson is not expected to confirm restrictions until Monday. Dan Jarvis, Labour MP for Barnsley Central, said: "Recklessly irresponsible to brief the papers but not leaders in the North wholl somehow have to make this work. Get a grip Boris Johnson." Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, added: "No discussion. No consultation. Millions of lives affected by Whitehall diktat. It is proving impossible to deal with this Government." 12:18 PM Lobby latest: Boris Johnson and Taoiseach talk - but not about Brexit Prime Minister Boris Johnson has discussed the coronavirus response with Ireland's Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Downing Street said. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "It wasn't a call about any aspects of Brexit. "It was about the response to Covid and ensuring that the United Kingdom Government and the Irish Government can work closely together on helping to combat the spread of the virus on the island of Ireland." 12:17 PM Lobby latest: Fresh support being readied for hospitality, Downing Street suggests Downing Street hinted at fresh financial support for industries and areas affected by new measures to curb the resurgence of coronavirus. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "We've provided a package of support to businesses of all sizes so far that's worth 190 billion, with particular schemes to support the hospitality industry. "Any decisions we take will not be made lightly, protecting jobs, particularly the two million in the UK's hospitality sector, has been a priority throughout our response to the pandemic." Asked whether there could be a new furlough scheme for industries shut down by new measures, he said: "If we do have to take further steps, of course we will take seriously how we can support those businesses who are affected." And, asked about reports of per-head funding for local authorities if they face harsher restrictions, he replied: "We have provided support so far to areas which have been placed into local lockdown. And we've been aware of the need to ensure they are given help." 12:16 PM Lobby latest: Fresh restrictions under discussion for Covid hotspots, Downing Street confirms Downing Street has hinted at fresh restrictions on pubs and restaurants in coronavirus hotspots, saying a "range of options" are being considered, with preliminary data showing there is "significant" exposure in hospitality settings. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "We are seeing coronavirus cases rise across the entire country but they are rising faster in the North East and the North West. "We are keeping the data under close review and we are considering a range of options to reduce the spread of the virus in order to protect communities and to protect the NHS." Asked about infections in hospitality in England as Scotland prepares to introduce fresh restrictions, the spokesman said: "Early data does suggest that a significant proportion of exposure to the virus is seen in the hospitality sector and that is even more pronounced in younger age groups where we have been seeing the most rapid rise in infections. "The data is new and we will continue to gather evidence and review it." 12:11 PM Paris Agreement on climate change to be hardwired into Brexit trade deal British and EU negotiators have moved closer to enshrining the Paris Agreement on climate change in the new Brexit free trade deal, The Daily Telegraph has learned. Either side can cancel the free trade agreement if the other reneges on their 2015 promise to limit global temperatures to 1.5 degrees, under the terms of the potential breakthrough. In March, the UK called for a climate agreement separate from the free trade deal that would affirm support for Paris. The UK is now ready to hardwire respect for the Paris Agreement into the draft trade deal, sources on both sides said. My colleague James Crisp has the story here. 12:06 PM Claire Fox takes seat in Lords against ongoing row over Warrington bombing A former MEP who has refused to apologise for historical support of the IRA bombing in Warrington that killed two children has taken her seat in the House of Lords. Baroness Fox of Buckley, who most recently represented the Brexit Party in Brussels, was formerly a senior activist in the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP). An RCP newsletter at the time of the attack, which killed schoolboys Tim Parry and Johnathan Ball, stated that the party defended "the right of the Irish people to take whatever measures necessary in their struggle for freedom". Though the 60-year-old has said she does not condone violence, she has not apologised for the position at the time. Tim's father Colin Parry said her peerage "offends me and many others deeply". Claire Fox was a Brexit Party MEP - AFP 12:01 PM Labour will not vote against pub curfew restrictions, Sir Keir Starmer confirms Labour will not be voting down the 10pm pub curfew in the Commons next week, Sir Keir Starmer has said. That all but guarantees the Government will win the vote, despite a number of Tory rebels. Speaking during a visit to Wiltshire, he told journalists: "There is growing concern about the 10pm curfew and lots of examples of everybody coming out of venues at the same time...There is a smarter way of doing this. "There is a vote next week, and the problem with the vote next week is it's an up/down, take-it-or-leave-it vote. "And therefore if you vote down the current arrangements there won't be any restrictions in place. That's not what we want, so we won't be voting down the restrictions in place." Sir Keir added: "I want to see the evidence. I want the Government to acknowledge that the 10pm curfew isn't working as they might have anticipated." 11:46 AM Scotland's R-rate as high as 1.6, Nicola Sturgeon warns The R number in Scotland - the average number of people each person with Covid-19 passes the virus - could now be as high as 1.6, Nicola Sturgeon said. Speaking at the start of First Minister's Questions at the Scottish Parliament, she said the rising number of cases was why the Scottish Government had announced "significant new measures" to try to tackle the virus. Ms Sturgeon said: "I recognise how hard these restrictions are for individuals and for businesses, hospitality businesses in particular, which is why we are making financial support available. "But these steps are essential to get the virus back under control as we go further into the winter period." She urged people to comply with the new rules, saying: "They are hard and painful for all of us, but they are about the protection of life and health." 11:44 AM British support for Ukraine 'rock solid', says Boris Johnson Britain's support for Ukraine is "rock solid", Boris Johnson has said, as the two leaders met in Downing Street to sign a strategic partnership agreement covering trade and defence ties. Mr Johnson told President Volodymyr Zelenskyy: "We are very pleased and excited that it will intensify the relationship between Britain and the Ukraine that has been developing very, very well in the last few years. "Our commitment to Ukraine is rock solid. We are with you 100%." The Ukrainian president said: "Thank you for your support of sovereignty of the Ukraine especially now when we see the aggression by Russia." Downing Street said: "The UK has been a staunch defender of Ukraine's right to self-determination, particularly since the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014." The meeting with Mr Johnson is part of a two-day visit by Mr Zelenskyy to the UK which has included a tour of the Prince of Wales aircraft carrier in Portsmouth. Boris Johnson meets President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Downing Street - PA 11:31 AM Planning algorithm 'flies in the face' of levelling up pledge, claims Theresa May Theresa May has delivered a withering verdict of the Government's proposed change to the planning system, saying it "flies in the face" of Boris Johnson's levelling up pledge. The former prime minister raised several laughs during her speech to the Commons, including when she criticised the use of an algorithm to set planning targets, noting archly that "I thought the Government might have abandoned algorithms by now." She argued that the reform would result in "not more homes, but more planning permission applications", because the "real block" was developers. The algorithm "flies in the face of the Government's flagship policy," she added. "These proposals do not deliver on Government policies. "The Government needs to think again and come back with a comprehensive proposal to this House for a proper debate, and dare I say it, a meaningful vote." 11:24 AM Theresa May attacks 'ill conceived' planning proposals Theresa May has attacked the "ill conceived" changes to the planning system, saying the Government "does need to think again on this". The former prime minister said she agreed with the principle of building more homes and levelling up, but the proposals do not "guarantee a single extra home being built". The formula "forces more investment into London and the South East," she added. "It is a mechanistic approach, ill conceived," the MP for Maidenhead added. It will result in "removing local democracy, cutting the number of affordable homes that will be built and building over rural areas", she warned. 11:19 AM MPs are being 'set up for failure' on planning targets, says Bob Seely MPs are "being set up for failure" with unrealistic new planning targets, Bob Seely has said. The Isle of Wight MP told the Commons that his constituency had particular reasons for why the target set by the new planning algorithm was wrong, and argued that no case had been put forward for why the existing system should be scrapped. Brownfield sites should be "legally exhausted" before low density greenfield sites were considered, he said. Developers should be made to pay council tax on undeveloped plots, he added. "That will get them focused." He also suggested that rules around foreign buyers should be tightened to help supply in places like London. 11:13 AM Planning reforms will leave 'Red Wall betrayed', claims Bob Seely The Government's planning reforms will make "shire Tories furious and leave the Red Wall betrayed", Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely has said. London will also feel the pain, he argued, noting that the target number of new builds was equivalent to 20 small new towns in just three boroughs. "We need to increase density to make better use of land - but the targets need to be achievable," he told the Commons. The reasoning was "absolutely laudable" but the method faulty, he said. Mr Seely argued that land banking was a bigger issue that should be resolved. "The market is failing first-time buyers, the answer is not green field sprawl or unachievable targets but a new generation of community-based affordable housing," he said. "The message from many parts of Britain is that we have been doing our bit for decades," he said, stressing that "levelling up was about other people doing theirs". 11:04 AM Have your say: Is the Government dragging its heels? Ministers claim they are "acting decisively". But local leaders are up in arms after widespread reporting this morning put parts of the North on notice that new restrictions were coming in. Leaders are concerned that people will - understandably - see this weekend as their last hurrah before Christmas, potentially packing the pubs and bars full of people for several days at a critical point in the spread of the virus. But others are fearful that the measures are going too far and will kill those businesses left on the edge after months of lesser restrictions. So is the Government dithering? Or are ministers trying to give the economy as much time as possible before the second lockdown really kicks in? Have your say in the poll below. 10:57 AM 'Selfish' face mask refuseniks told 'wear one or face a fine' The "small minority" of people who refuse to wear a face coverings on public transport have been told to mask-up or "face a hefty fine". Since 15 June, it has been mandatory for customers to wear a face covering that covers their nose and mouth for their entire journey, including in stations and on platforms, unless they are exempt. "This selfish minority will be penalised and could face prosecution," TfL said today. Despite this message being a reminder rather than news, the press release contained quotes from six people, including Siwan Hayward, Director of Compliance, Policing Operations and Security; Heidi Alexander, Deputy Mayor for Transport; Sean OCallaghan, Assistant Chief Constable at BTP; Superintendent Gary Taylor from the Mets Roads and Transport Policing Command; Professor Kevin Fenton, London regional director for Public Health England and Emma Gibson, Director of London TravelWatch. 10:34 AM MPs who want remote voting are 'wet', says Jacob Rees-Mogg MPs who want a return to remote voting in Parliament are "wet", and should consider their "duty" the same as frontline workers, Jacob Rees-Mogg has said. SNP Commons spokesman Tommy Sheppard argued that many MPs would be "unable to travel to this place" because they are living in areas of greater restrictions, saying it was "somewhat perverse" to force members into Westminster when remote proceedings can and have taken place. "In other words, if we have the ability to participate remotely, we wouldn't need to make journeys to this place," he said. But the Commons leader said MPs "need to turn up to do our job". He added: "We are an essential service. And I think it's pretty wet, quite frankly, that we expect doctors, nurses, police officers, people working in supermarkets, we expect the cleaners in the House of Commons to come round and do their job, and we say we've got to stay at home because we're not willing to come. "We have a duty to be here, our public duty - that's why we were elected. We were elected to be an assembly of the nation, not people sitting remotely, throwing stones." 10:27 AM Liam Fox eliminated from WTO leadership contest Boris Johnson's choice to be the next leader of the World Trade Organisation has been eliminated from the race. Former international trade secretary Liam Fox had been backed by his successor Liz Truss and the Prime Minister to take the top job. But the WTO said Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria and Yoo Myung-hee of South Korea had made it through to the final round of the contest to become the organisation's next director-general, with Mr Fox and two other candidates eliminated. Mr Fox said: "I'm proud to have been nominated by the Prime Minister as the UK's nominee for the position of director-general of the World Trade Organisation. "Of course I am naturally disappointed not to be continuing further in this contest. "It's been an honour to take part in the selection process over the last few months, to make the arguments on the international stage that are critical to the future of the global trading system, such as renewed commitment to the multilateral rules-based system and about economic empowerment and sustainable development." Liam Fox has been dropped from the WTO race - AFP 10:15 AM Jacob Rees-Mogg defends Matt Hancock over Commons no-show Jacob Rees-Mogg has defended the number of times Matt Hancock has fielded questions from MPs on the Government's response to the pandemic. Yesterday the Speaker attacked the Health Secretary for his "totally unacceptable" failure to respond to MPs' questions, something which shadow leader Valerie Vaz picked up on this morning. She said: "We are still entitled to ask questions, aren't we? "Because I'd like to ask the Leader of the House where the evidence is that large parts of the North and the Midlands are under lockdown when other areas of higher rates of infection are not?" Mr Rees-Mogg replied: "The right honourable lady moans that we haven't heard enough from the Secretary of State. We've had 40 oral statements from the Government during the coronavirus pandemic. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Health has been an assiduous attender of this House to ensure that we are fully informed." He added that Mr Hancock has appeared before MPs "not only when asked". 10:12 AM Government to allow pub curfew debate despite not 'strictly' being required, says Jacob Rees-Mogg The Government is allowing a debate on the pub curfew because it is a "nationally significant measure" although it does not "strictly" come under new rules giving MPs a vote on restrictions, Jacob Rees-Mogg has said. The Leader of the House rejected calls for the Government to publish the evidence behind the measure, saying ministers were "acting on the advice of Sage" He also told MPs that the Government has moved the debate on the 10pm curfew to the main Chamber to allow greater scrutiny, adding: "I am very glad to say that we now have a system where issues of national significance will be debated on the floor of the House. "And I would note on the 10pm curfew, it is a nationally significant measure, and even though it is not strictly caught by the Health Secretary's commitment last week, the Government took the decision to move the debate to the floor of the House in recognition of the level of the demand for the debate. "So we are being responsive to what is being asked for and ensuring proper scrutiny." 10:05 AM MPs will get a vote on pub curfew, Jacob Rees-Mogg confirms MPs will get a vote on the pub curfew next week, Jacob Rees-Mogg has confirmed. This morning Robert Jenrick, the Housing Secretary, has suggested the vote - which had been expected yesterday - could be further delayed, saying "no decision had been taken" about when it would run. But this morning the Leader of the House confirmed it has been scheduled for Tuesday next week. Shadow leader Valerie Vaz welcomed the news - but asked for the Government to publish the evidence to support the measure ahead of the vote. The business for the week commencing 12 October will include: pic.twitter.com/RVbt2ZZ6IW Leader of the House of Commons (@CommonsLeader) October 8, 2020 09:53 AM UK making 'good progress' in trade talks with US, says Liz Truss The UK is making "good progress" in trade talks with the United States, Liz Truss has told MPs. The International Trade Secretary has also promised that a "world-leading scrutiny process" will be in place for MPs to debate the UK's future trade deals. "And that will mean the International Trade Committee scrutinising a signed version of the deal, producing a report to Parliament, a debate taking place and then through the CRAG process. Parliament can block any trade deal if it is not happy with it," she told MPs. "We are making good progress on a deal with the United States. We've just finished round four of negotiations and we're discussing detailed tariffs and texts. We'll carry on working until 30 October, just before the presidential election." Asked if the trade deal would be "dead in the water" because of the Internal Market Bill if Donald Trump does not win November's election, Ms Truss replied: "We've been absolutely clear with all of our trading partners, and indeed with the EU, that we are committed to the Good Friday Agreement, we are committed to no hard border in the island of Ireland and on that basis we are progressing talks with the United States." 09:35 AM Nadine Dorries gives corona-naysayers a talking to Health minister Nadine Dorries suggested that stronger coronavirus restrictions were necessary because hospital admissions might be at a "critical stage" in around 10 days. The Mid Bedfordshire MP and former nurse said: "Those who now claim that further measures are not needed, will in about 10 days from now, when hospital admissions are at a critical stage argue that we didn't do enough." She said the Government "must do all we can" to prevent intensive care units becoming overwhelmed. Ms Dorries of course was the first MP to test positive for coronavirus back in March. Those who now claim that further measures are not needed, will in about ten days from now, when hospital admissions are at a critical stage argue that we didnt do enough. We must do all we can to prevent our ICUs #NHS from becoming overwhelmed #COVID19 Nadine Dorries #StayAlert (@NadineDorries) October 8, 2020 09:18 AM Lust for strife: XR activists take protest to Scottish Parliament Environmental activists have climbed on to the Scottish Parliament building in a protest against fossil fuels. Three members of Extinction Rebellion Scotland draped a banner reading "Choose Oil or Choose Life" from an overhang above the public entrance to Holyrood. The entrance has been closed to the public for some time due to the Covid-19 pandemic and access to the building is currently through other routes. The protest is part of a series of activities planned by the group in October. The activists say they plan to stay in place until First Minister's Questions ends on Thursday afternoon. Lust for strife: XR activists on the roof of the Scottish Parliament - Getty 09:08 AM What's on the agenda today.... Reaction is still coming in from this morning's big news stories - but here is what else we have coming up 10.30am: Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the Commons, makes a Commons statement on next weeks business. We should learn whether there will be a vote on the pub curfew next week or not - as hinted by Robert Jenrick earlier today. 11am: NHS Test and Trace is due to publish its latest performance figures. Around 11.30am: MPs begin a general debate on the governments plans to reform the planning system. More than 50 MPs are due to speak, including former PM Theresa May. I've been told the Government could have an even bigger rebellion on its hands over the proposed algorithm than there have been on other issues and we have already seen some fairly significant backbench revolts. 12pm: Downing Street holds its lobby briefing. 09:04 AM Government restrictions creating 'ever-widening North-South divide' More criticism is coming in from local leaders after this morning's news that further restrictions are being mulled for northern England. While most criticism is focusing around ministers moving too slowly, Steve Rotheram, the Labour mayor of Liverpool city region, has warned about the an ever widening North-South divide caused by restrictions, which he claimed treated the regions like a petri dish for experimentation. Hear what he had to say below: "What we've seen is an ever-widening North/South divide in measures being taken. Quite simply the North should not be a petri dish for experimentation by central government." From this morning's interview on @GMB pic.twitter.com/3oxvsM2IAc Steve Rotheram (@MetroMayorSteve) October 8, 2020 08:53 AM Country at 'tipping point' on second wave, medical experts warn Medical experts have warned that there are "pretty serious" outbreaks in parts of England and that the country is at "a tipping point". Dr Adam Kucharski, a member of the Government's scientific pandemic influenza group on modelling, said cases would "continue to rise unless something changes". He told the Today programme: "We have got now good evidence that a lot of transmission particularly happens at prolonged indoor interactions, particularly among close-knit gatherings, so, obviously pubs and restaurants are one potential setting for that to happen." Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairwoman of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, said the "indications are not looking good" as she urged people to stick to local lockdown measures. She told Breakfast the nation was at a "tipping point" and warned virus transmission could "get out of control". 08:42 AM Have your say: Is the Government dragging its heels? Ministers claim they are "acting decisively". But local leaders are up in arms after widespread reporting this morning put parts of the North on notice that new restrictions were coming in. Leaders are concerned that people will - understandably - see this weekend as their last hurrah before Christmas, potentially packing the pubs and bars full of people for several days at a critical point in the spread of the virus. But others are fearful that the measures are going too far and will kill those businesses left on the edge after months of lesser restrictions. So is the Government dithering? Or are ministers trying to give the economy as much time as possible before the second lockdown really kicks in? Have your say in the poll below. 08:31 AM Scotland's circuit breaker will cost tens of thousands of jobs, UKHospitality boss warns Many businesses "won't survive" the new restrictions on hospitality and licensed trade in Scotland, and tens of thousands of jobs will be lost, a senior industry figure has warned. UKHospitality executive director for Scotland Willie Macleod said while the sector understood the "very difficult decisions" being made, pubs and restaurants had "worked very hard and successfully to provide safe hygienic environments for customers and staff". He added: "Closing bars and restaurants is going to have a massive impact on businesses that are really just climbing back from a prolonged period of lockdown, they've reopened with reduced capacity to cope with social distancing, they were then hit by the 10pm curfew and with reduced demand and reduced consumer confidence business resilience is as low as it can be. "Many businesses won't survive and I'm afraid we're going to see tens of thousands of job losses by the time we do the final count on all of this." 08:16 AM MPs may not be given a say on pub curfew, minister admits MPs may not be given a vote on the controversial pub curfew a Cabinet minister has said, furthering suggestions more draconian measures may be on the way. Robert Jenrick, the Housing Secretary, confirmed that further action was under consideration for parts of the country where cases are continuing to rise. It is thought Boris Johnson will announce the closure of hospitality in northern England early next week, alongside other new restrictions set out as part of the new tiered system. Mr Jenrick did not play these reports down, telling Sky News ministers were "considering a range of different options" to bring cases back down, noting that they would like "a more consistent approach" which could see the traffic light system introduced. But he stressed the Government's "regional and proportionate approach" would stay, pointing to the difference between rates in Manchester compared with Dorset. However the pub curfew vote - which had been expected yesterday before it was delayed amid a looming Tory rebellion - might not now go ahead next week, Mr Jenrick admitted. "No decision has been taken," he told Sky News. 08:13 AM Nottingham residents 'victims of Government change of approach', claims council leader Residents of Nottingham are "victims of a Government change of approach" in which measures are briefed before coming into force, which could result in people thinking this weekend will be "their last chance before Christmas" to socialise, the city's council leader has said. David Mellen, leader of Nottingham City Council, told Radio 4's Today programme that even though the city had "very high numbers" they now had to "wait until next week for the Government to bring in what we expect to be new restrictions". As well as that allowing the virus extra time to spread, that could mean "people think 'this is our last chance before Christmas' and go have a party," Mr Mellen said. "We can't have that." He claimed the city had been "hampered" by the lost test results, which meant there were "lots of people going around the city, their ordinary life, without isolating when they should have been if they know their results and contacts been traced," he said. 08:04 AM Labour MP hits out against Government plans to shut hospitality More local MPs have reacted angrily to the Government's plans to shut pubs and other forms of hospitality amid surging cases in the North. Shadow business minister Lucy Powell, who represents the Manchester Central constituency, tweeted: "Let's remember infections still largely occurring: inside households, then in education (mainly university) settings then health/care settings, then workplaces. In that order. Only then (and further down) do you get to hospitality and other settings..." Referring to the prospect of pubs in northern England being shut down, she added: "It's really upsetting and a lot of anxiety for all those working in and running restaurants, pubs, bars in "the North" (that place up there where 15m of us live)." 07:55 AM Nicola Sturgeon takes swipe at Boris Johnson over Internal Market Bill Nicola Sturgeon has used Politco Europe, one of the Brussels beltway websites, to send a pretty clear message to the European Union. In a swipe at Downing Street over the Internal Market Bill, the First Minister says Scotland will always uphold international law. "In our interconnected world today it has never been more important to uphold both our internationalist values and the principles and operation of international law. Scotland will always champion those values and those principles," she writes. "The Scottish government, therefore, found it particularly shocking when we discovered that the U.K. government was planning legislation that would breach international law." She also attacked Boris Johnson for not extending transition period and complained that Scotland was being removed from EU "against our will". 07:51 AM Local leaders attack 'recklessly irresponsible' Government approach to lockdown briefing Local leaders are fuming after they were left in the dark about the latest set of restrictions being readied for northern England. Newspapers this morning reported that Boris Johnson is poised to imposed new measures amid a surge in cases. But this has been attacked by Dan Jarvis, Labour MP for Barnsley Central, who tweeted: "Recklessly irresponsible to brief the papers but not leaders in the North wholl somehow have to make this work. "Get a grip." Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, added: "No discussion. No consultation. "Millions of lives affected by Whitehall diktat. It is proving impossible to deal with this Government." 07:38 AM No plan 'today' for people to wear face masks at work, says Housing Secretary The Government does not "have a plan today" to make people wear face masks at work, the Housing Secretary has said. Yesterday, parliamentary authorities told MPs and other passholders they must now start wearing face masks when moving around the estate, although they do not have to wear masks in meetings or the Commons. Asked about the possibility of bringing in regulations for people to wear masks at workplaces more generally, Robert Jenrick said: "Some workplaces are asking their employees to do so voluntarily." "It does have some benefit," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "So, I'm sure, as with other things, that will be taken into consideration by the Health Secretary and Chief Medical Officer, but we don't have a plan today to take action in that respect." Sir Lindsay Hoyle wore a mask as he led the traditional procession at the start of Commons business - PA 07:31 AM Hospitality support 'may well need to go further', says Housing Secretary Support for the hospitality sector "may well need to go further" should more measures be imposed against its operations, the Housing Secretary has said. Asked if pubs and restaurants will receive additional financial support should they be required to temporarily close, Mr Jenrick told BBC Breakfast on Thursday: "The Chancellor will have to consider that carefully if we have to implement those measures. "He and I are very concerned about people working in the hospitality sector. "There is support in place, but I completely understand that we may well need to go further because those businesses will be placed in a really difficult, intolerable position if they are asked to do more." He added: "We understand that hospitality is being asked to bare a greater burden than almost any other sector of the economy and we want to help and support those people through the coming months." 07:24 AM Minister dodges question about whether this is the last weekend to get to the pub Robert Jenrick has defended the pub curfew as a "commonsensical approach", stressing the UK is not an "outlier" - but warned of further restrictions to come. Challenged on what scientific evidence there was for the 10pm closing time, he said there was "evidence guided by the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Adviser and we will gather more of that in the days and weeks to come". He added: "It is right that we take action decisively rather than waiting for most detailed epidemiological approach... but we understand the pressure this is placing on hospitality." Asked if Boris Johnson was going to make an announcement shutting pubs on Monday, Mr Jenrick told Today: "We are going to keep that under review, we are following the evidence and it will be a matter for the Prime Minister and Health Secretary." Asked if this weekend would be "one last chance to get to the pub", he said it was "right we take a considered view on this" and pointed to the rising cases in the Midlands and North. 07:17 AM Covid marshals not allowed to be 'aggressive' about enforcement, says Robert Jenrick Covid marshals should take a sensitive approach to restrictions, rather than "aggressive" enforcement, Robert Jenrick has said. Local councils will also receive 30 million to fund measures including so-called Covid marshals to make sure rules are being observed, while police will receive an extra 30 million for enforcing coronavirus lockdown rules, the Government has said. Robert Jenrick said marshals could go "door to door" but stressed that they could not enter a property, saying if they had "particular concerns it was right they escalate them to the police". He stressed that he hoped the money would be used "sensitively" and "in a soft way", rather than supporting intrusive action, saying: "That is not the kind of country I want to live in." "This isn't about having hard aggressive individuals, who are reporting on members of the public," he told Today programme. 07:11 AM Housing Secretary's family well after receiving death threats over Holocaust memorial The Housing Secretary has said his family are "all doing well" after they were subjected to death threats over his support for a Holocaust memorial in Westminster. Robert Jenrick who is married to the daughter of Holocaust survivors and whose children are being brought up as Jewish recused himself from any decisions relating to the memorial after publicly backing the plans. However earlier this week he revealed that he had been subject to antisemitic smears and threats over his role in the proposal. He told Sky News: "It was a nasty experience it does show that antisemitism is still alive and with us in this country. But to me the most important thing is to go ahead and build the memorial... The Holocaust is just on the edge of living memory." The proposed site meant the memorial was "in the shadow of Parliament" and would be seen by hundreds of thousands of people each year, which would "keep the memory of the Holocaust alive," he added. 07:06 AM Ministers considering further restrictions for northern England The Housing Secretary has refused to say whether pubs and restaurants in parts of northern England will be forced to close due to an increase in coronavirus cases. Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Thursday, Robert Jenrick said "it was not sensible" for him to speculate about the possible measures, despite being challenged about the overnight briefings. He said: "It is correct to say the number of cases in the North West and the North East and a number of cities, particularly in the Midlands like Nottingham, are rising fast and that is a serious situation. "We are currently considering what steps we should take, obviously taking the advice of our scientific and medical advisers, and a decision will be made shortly. "But I'm not able to give you right now exactly what is going to happen." Asked if there will be an announcement linked to the hospitality trade next week, Mr Jenrick said: "We are considering the evidence. In some parts of the country, the number of cases are rising very fast and we are taking that very seriously." 06:48 AM PM could shut pubs and restaurants within days as Commons battle with Labour beckons Boris Johnson is considering plans to close pubs and restaurants within days amid mounting opposition from Sir Keir Starmer to the Governments lockdown strategy. Mr Johnson is expected to announce that hospitality venues in the worst-hit areas of the country will face closure as infection rates continue to spiral out of control. Until now he has been able to rely on the support of Labour for measures to control coronavirus, but that support began to crumble after Sir Keir demanded to see the scientific basis for the current 10pm curfew. The Labour leader made clear that he could withdraw the support of his MPs when the curfew is put to a vote next week, saying the measure should be reviewed if there is no firm evidence for it. Before I dive into my take on euthanasia, I want to make a disclaimer. Im not sure what I think about euthanasia being requested by someone who is terminally ill, and their pain cannot be alleviate by ANY treatment. However, I believe in miracles and maybe just as some may see euthanasia as the final option, prayers for a miracle is a great first and last resort. I begin to worry when anyone requests euthanasia and they are not bedridden. People will have differing views on my stance whether they support euthanasia or not. New Zealand Act MP David Seymours End of Life Choice Bill has passed its first reading in parliament. The select committee has received over 30,000 public submissions and several oppose the bill. Although, different groups and individuals oppose for different reasons. If the bill becomes law, it would allow NZ citizens and permanent residents over 18 years old to seek assisted suicide by a medical physician. They must be suffering from a terminal illness that is likely to end their life within six month or a grievous and irremediable illness. Even if the safeguards are enough to prevent euthanasia being misused, as Seymour claims, what will safeguard against the government making amendments in the future to liberalize the bill. That's what scares me. Pain and suffering - I want out Mr. Seymour doesnt want his bill to be as liberal as euthanasia legislations in European nations. In Belgium for example, deaf twins were legally euthanised because they couldnt bare their psychological distress. Only time will tell if legislation in New Zealand would get out of hand. Already, I find the stories of Kiwis Ive watched online who want to be euthanised really discouraging. They describe their tragedy or diagnoses which result in their abilities degrading. Some discuss how they cant take care of their own personal needs anymore. People in these videos are not bedridden. Well, their illnesses have not progressed that far yet at least. As someone who has lived with a disability my whole life, Im puzzled! Do they need education on living with a disability or is the pain and distress beyond what anyone can bare? I must say they have great courage and patience to advocate for a way to die with dignity. Could people surrounding these individuals encourage them to redirect their courage to see the joys that's left? Look deep enough, I bet theres plenty. Each case is different but I'm responding to the videos of people that have become impaired in some way. I don't know how unbearable the pain and distress are for these people, but if they can alleviate the pain I encourage them to make the most of the life they still have. Living with a disability isnt all that bad! What you need support with may increase greatly, but with good supports, life is bearable, sometimes even fun! Choosing when to die is a human right, but suicide isnt? One article I read on Stuff NZ attempted to distinguish the difference between euthanasia and suicide. I say attempted because their definition for each both implies the individual deciding to end their own lives. The only actual difference is the method they use. Jones, the author, claims that many people believe that individuals choosing when they die is a basic human right. He uses this position against the common view that the timing of someones death is left in Gods hands. Jones defined suicide as one dying by their own hand which begs the question, does the apparent human right include suicide? Again, I don't want to include the extreme cases of terminal illness. Though, why should someone not in palliative care be able to request euthanasia? Just because one takes the medical route of ending their life makes their choice acceptable? Am I ignorant or missing the point? A law is passed, Belgium, or possibly New Zealand, making medically assisted suicide legal. This removes people from their pain and misery so its, dare I say it, moral? I don't understand what difference it would make if I only removed medically from the paragraph above. Where is the line! When does choosing to die becomes moral and not suicide? Supporters of euthanasia may say Im heartless, but frankly I don't see a difference. Reasons to live Life is tough on everyone whether we have an impairment or not. We all experience struggles, distresses and pain. The duration and amount of these experiences vary. Attempting to go through the lows and woes of life alone is dangerous. How we respond to what life throws at us can build us or break us. Creating communities where people feel valued. Improving disability support and palliative care services. Supporting people to feel real connection to the world around them. These are the keys to giving people reasons to live! Manuele Teofilo lives in South Auckland with his parents and siblings. He has graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Human Services and plans to work in the disability sector. He enjoys getting around in his electric wheelchair and having fun with people. 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. 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. 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. A man in his 40s was arrested in Busan for allegedly filming voyeur videos by drone, according to Busan Nambu Police Station, Thursday. / Korea Times file By Lee Hyo-jin A man in his 40s was arrested in Busan for allegedly filming sex acts in private residences from a drone, according to the police, Thursday. Busan Nambu Police Station announced that they requested a warrant for the man who was arrested for allegedly operating the drone. Another man in his 30s who accompanied him is also being questioned without physical detention. The crime took place Sept. 19 around midnight in a high-rise apartment complex in Suyeong District, southern Busan. The two men operated the drone worth approximately 1 million won ($865) to hover outside windows of the apartment complex. The drone was installed with high-quality camera gear. It circled over the apartments for about three hours before it crashed. Startled by the loud noise, apartment residents reported the fallen drone. Police recovered it and found footage of sex acts of several couples. But the drone operators had already fled the scene. After two weeks of searching through CCTV footage, the police tracked them down Oct.4. The man who operated the drone is likely to be charged under the Special Act on Crimes of Sexual Violence. But he is currently denying the charges, saying that he "lost the drone while flying it." Investigators are searching for other possible illegal footage on his phone and laptop, as he may have transmitted the videos from the drone. They will also look into whether he intended to distribute or sell the footage. "After a thorough investigation, we will also notify the administrative authorities for additional measures as he violated the Aviation Safety Act, which prohibits flying drones at night," said an officer from the police station. Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws 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 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. Photo: (Photo : GoFundMe) A Texas family sues hospital because it does not want to keep their brain-dead baby on life support. CNN stated that on September 24, a ten-month-old baby was taken into a Texas hospital. The outlet said that the infant was found unconscious and unresponsive in a bathtub. The hospital transferred Nick Torres to Texas Children's Hospital from its ICU. CNN obtained court files and said that doctors declared Nick brain dead within the week. Parents believe that their son has a chance to live Mario and Ana Patricia Torres, Nick's parents, however, believe that their son still has a chance to live. They want to keep him on life support. The reason is that their child's heart is still beating on its own. They sued the hospital, alleging that it is "rushing to make a decision." See also: Partially Born Baby Receives Surgery to Survive Miraculously Dr. Matthew Musick, senior medical director of Texas Children's Hospital pediatric ICU, explained Nick's condition in court files. He said that the child's current condition and physiological changes are not related to the oxygen provided by the ventilator. The ventilator could not help Dr. Musick said that the ventilator could not stop or slow those changes inside the little boy's body, CNN stated. The outlet also noted that the boy's parents sought an injunction against the hospital and over $1 million. The baby showed signs of postmortem deterioration A judge denied it and gave the couple more time to file an accelerated appeal. It gave all sides until 5 PM on Wednesday to show proof to the court, based on the outlet. Court files said that the hospital maintains the "indisputable medical fact" that the baby showed "signs of postmortem deterioration." See also: Formerly Conjoined Twins Enjoy Best Lives Normally 17 Years After Surgery It also noted that Nick had shown progressive signs of organ failure. It also included cardiac failure based on CNN. The outlet also said that the baby is dead, based on state law. Based on many evaluations, the child had shown that all spontaneous brain activity had already stopped. Texas Children's Hospital told "PEOPLE" that their hearts are with the Torres family. It stated that losing a child is very hard for any family. The hospital is seeking to provide the most compassionate and best care for every patient it serves. Kevin Acevedo, the Torres' attorney, explained to CNN the parent's side. He said that the case is about life and death, what they believe in, and who gets to choose when a child is taken off his life support. See also: Massachusetts Mom Warns Other Parents After Son Got Strangled by Seat Belt Acevedo explained that the issues at the heart of the case are all about who gets to decide for the little boy. He noted that when doctors do not agree with the decision of the child's parents, the one to decide should be discussed for the best of both worlds. An Easyjet plane takes off from Manchester Airport in Manchester Reuters The British airline easyJet on Thursday said it might have lost up to $1.1 billion in its 2020 fiscal year its first full-year loss. The airline forecast headline losses before tax for the year that ended September 30 of 815 million to 845 million, or $1.06 billion to $1.1 billion). The budget carrier said it expected to operate at about 25% of operational capacity in the first few months of 2021. EasyJet scrapped its dividend. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The British airline easyJet warned on Thursday that it might have lost up to 845 million, or $1.1 billion, in its 2020 fiscal year its first full-year loss. The budget airline has scrapped its dividend amid the carnage caused by the coronavirus pandemic, it said in a trading update. Based on current travel restrictions, easyJet said it expected to fly at about 25% of planned capacity for the first quarter of 2021. The UK company forecast a headline loss before tax for the year that ended September 30 of 815 million to 845 million, or $1.06 billion to $1.1 billion, exceeding the 794 million loss expected by analysts. The airline's CEO, Johan Lundgren, called for a "bespoke package of measures" to support the industry from the UK government. "Aviation continues to face the most severe threat in its history and the UK Government urgently needs to step up," he said. Sky News reported Thursday that easyJet had warned the government it may need more state aid. The airline has already secured a 600 million ($778 million) loan from the COVID Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF), issued by the Bank of England and the HM Treasury. Despite the losses, easyJet said it is "well-positioned to weather" the ongoing pandemic and stage a recovery once the government eases travel restrictions. "We will cover the majority of our pre-existing network with reduced frequency, taking advantage of the European slot waiver mechanism put in place for this winter to best match our capacity against the lower demand that currently exists," easyJet said. Story continues It would continue to regularly "review its liquidity position" and assess whether further funding is necessary, it said. It has already raised 2.4 billion in cash since the start of COVID-19. With every major country placed under widespread lockdowns in March, the aviation industry has been severely affected. A number of European countries such as the Netherlands, the UK, and Spain are seeing a resurgence in cases and instigating local lockdowns in some areas. EasyJet, which normally operates on over 1,100 routes across more than 35 countries, said in May it would slash 4,500 jobs roughly 30% of its workforce due to the pandemic. The company later said it doesn't expect demand for flying to return to 2019 levels before 2023. The results came after Manchester Airports Group, which owns airports in Manchester as well as London Stansted airport, warned this week it could cut more than 800 jobs. Monthly demand is 75% below usual levels, it said. EasyJet will report formal annual results on November 17. Shares in easyJet were down around 2% at 514 ($666) on Thursday morning. Read the original article on Business Insider UW Biodiversity Institute Launches Global Vegetation Project This York gum tree is located in Western Australia and is one of the trees included in the database of the Global Vegetation Project recently launched by the UW Biodiversity Institute. The mission of the community science project is to inspire and empower people of all ages to learn about the diversity of vegetation on Earth and to provide educators with a resource for teaching online. (John Dwyer Photo) Scottish American naturalist John Muir once said that between every two pines, there is a doorway to a new world. The University of Wyomings Biodiversity Institute is looking to expand that doorway beyond just the pines -- to other trees, wildflowers, cacti and other vegetation worldwide with its Global Vegetation Project. The mission of the Global Vegetation Project is to inspire and empower people of all ages to learn about the diversity of vegetation on Earth and to provide educators with a resource for teaching online. The goal is to bring the field into the classroom in a way that was previously impossible, enabling visual and interactive experiences that link vegetation and climate at the global scale. Our focus is global in scope. We are getting lots of photos from South America, which is exciting, says Daniel Laughlin, project director for the Global Vegetation Project. But, naturally, many of our first photos are from North America, and we have plans to make sure that the Rocky Mountain and High Plains ecoregions are well represented in the database for use in Wyoming schools. It's a community science project allowing users to access, and add to, a database of vegetation photographs that can be explored interactively through an online mapped interface, says Bryce Tugwell, web content developer and digital storyteller for the Biodiversity Institute. Anyone with an internet connection will be able to challenge themselves to tackle a variety of learning outcomes. These learning outcomes are: -- Determining differences and similarities among vegetation types across the globe. -- Understanding how climate shapes vegetation. -- Hypothesizing how climate change might affect the distribution of vegetation types in the future. We do encourage people to share their unique vegetation with the project, Laughlin says. We want it to be a one-stop shop for open access vegetation photos, and to celebrate the immense diversity of vegetation worldwide. When a photo is submitted, the project team conducts quality control to make sure the location of the photo is correct, and that the photo is appropriate. Then, the team takes the location of the photo and spatially joins it to other spatial data layers to determine biome, ecoregion, province/country, mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation, and temperature and precipitation averages by month to create Walter-Lieth climate diagrams. We plan to develop lesson plans to teach students about the relationship between vegetation types and these climate diagrams, Laughlin says. The project was inspired both by the increased need for online field ecology teaching resources as well as the lack of a single e-repository with information on the diversity of vegetation types across the globe, according to the project website. The project is similar to iNaturalist, but with a focus on communities of plant vegetation rather than individual species. With the help of user-submitted photos, location information and vegetation information, the Global Vegetation Project will create an interactive map where travelers can virtually navigate to points to explore vegetation types, Laughlin says. Travelers can explore using a global map or by using a Whittaker biome diagram, which illustrates how vegetation types relate to temperature and precipitation. Alternatively, vegetation can be viewed by filtering for specific regions, biomes or presence of individual species. The Whittaker biome diagram is a fundamental starting point for understanding the vegetation of the world. While this will eventually develop into a community science initiative, we do require the contributors to identify the vegetation type and a few dominant species in the photo, Laughlin explains. So, some base-level knowledge is required at present. This Patagonian steppe from Argentina is one of many photos of vegetation on the UW Biodiversity Institutes webpage for its Global Vegetation Project. (Alejandra Maza Photo) While still under discussion, the group has considered relaxing this assumption, with the possibility of allowing anyone to submit photos without having to know species and vegetation types. To create awareness and interest in the project, Laughlin says social media accounts have been created on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Sienna Wessel, a masters student from Champaign, Ill., majoring in botany and the projects science communications manager, has created two videos that will be posted on the projects website and distributed via social media. Additionally, the group plans to send targeted emails to vegetation scientists around the world to invite them to contribute. Laughlin says he has sent messages to email listservs such as ECOLOG. With a National Science Foundation grant Laughlin has secured, he says it will be used to hire an RET (Research Experience for Teachers) position next summer. This teacher will work with us to learn about vegetation diversity across climatic gradients; develop curricula for grade school- and high school-level students; and travel across the region and take photos for the project, Laughlin says. Our long-term goal is to develop teaching lessons for a variety of grade levels, and the RET will be an important component to that. Laughlin relies on a small group of collaborators to keep the project moving forward. Shannon Albeke, a senior research scientist with the Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center (WyGISC) was instrumental in developing the database and web map services for the application. The Advanced Research Computing Center on campus has provided support for hosting the database and the server. Jesse Fleri, a first-year Ph.D. student from Lake Forest, Calif., in the Program in Ecology and botany, is the R Shiny app developer. Tugwell enabled the web interface in the UW Biodiversity Institute as part of its facilitation of externally funded broader impacts of research. To submit a photo(s), fill out the form at www.gveg.wyobiodiversity.org/index.php/entry-submission. For more information about the Global Vegetation Project, go to the website at www.gveg.wyobiodiversity.org; Facebook at www.facebook.com/GlobalVegProj/; Twitter at www.twitter.com/GlobalVegProj; and Instagram at www.instagram.com/globalvegproj/. For videos about the Global Vegetation Project, go to https://drive.google.com/file/d/1asQVTN1PanqFOBK7PuPMP31TBp1LCH7_/view and https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_5pbPtcrenWaHVGY812LO5idPuEDGkLG/view. About the Biodiversity Institute The mission of the Biodiversity Institute is to foster the understanding, appreciation and conservation of biological diversity through innovative research, education and outreach; and by engaging a broad audience in the scientific process. Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws 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 By Joseph S. Nye, Jr. CAMBRIDGE There is no single future until it happens, and any effort to envision geopolitics in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic must include a range of possible futures. I suggest five plausible futures in 2030, but obviously others can be imagined. End of liberal order The world order established by the United States after World War II created a framework of institutions that led to a remarkable liberalization of international trade and finance. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, this order was being challenged by the rise of China and the growth of populism in Western democracies. China benefited from the order, but as its strategic weight grows, it increasingly insists on setting standards and rules. The U.S. resists, institutions atrophy, and appeals to sovereignty increase. The U.S. remains outside the World Health Organization and the Paris climate agreement. COVID-19 contributes to the probability of this scenario by weakening the U.S. "system manager." 1930s-like authoritarian challenge Mass unemployment, increased inequality, and community disruption from pandemic-related economic changes create hospitable conditions for authoritarian politics. There is no shortage of political entrepreneurs willing to use nationalist populism to gain power. Nativism and protectionism increase. Tariffs and quotas on goods and people increase, and immigrants and refugees become scapegoats. Authoritarian states seek to consolidate regional spheres of interest, and various types of interventions increase the risk of violent conflict. Some of these trends were visible before 2020, but weak prospects for economic recovery, owing to the failure to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic that increases the probability of this scenario. A China-dominated world order As China masters the pandemic, the economic distance between it and other major powers changes dramatically. China's economy surpasses that of a declining U.S. by the mid-2020s, and China widens its lead over onetime potential contenders like India and Brazil. In its diplomatic marriage of convenience with Russia, China increasingly becomes the senior partner. Not surprisingly, China demands respect and obeisance in accordance with its increasing power. The Belt and Road Initiative is used to influence not just neighbors but partners as distant as Europe and Latin America. Votes against China in international institutions become too expensive, as they jeopardize Chinese aid or investment, as well as access to the world's largest market. With Western economies having been weakened relative to China by the pandemic, China's government and major companies are able to reshape institutions and set standards to their liking. Green agenda Not all futures are negative. Public opinion in many democracies is beginning to place a higher priority on climate change and environmental conservation. Some governments and companies are reorganizing to deal with such issues. Even before COVID-19, one could foresee an international agenda in 2030 defined by countries' focus on green issues. By highlighting the links between human and planetary health, the pandemic accelerates adoption of this agenda. For example, the U.S. public notices that spending $700 billion on defense did not prevent COVID-19 from killing more Americans than died in all its wars after 1945. In a changed domestic political environment, a U.S. president introduces a "COVID Marshall Plan" to provide prompt access to vaccines for poor countries and to strengthen the capacity of their health care systems. The Marshall Plan of 1948 was in America's self-interest and simultaneously in the interest of others, and had a profound effect on shaping the geopolitics of the ensuing decade. Such leadership enhanced U.S. soft power. By 2030, a green agenda has become good domestic politics, with a similarly significant geopolitical effect. More of the same Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws 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 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. How to Vote And how to make sure it's counted. by James Leonard From the October, 2020 issue 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. 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. Gov. Newsoms Nominee for State Supreme Would Be Third Black Justice on High Court On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom nominated Martin Jenkins, a San Francisco native, and a former prosecutor and judge, to the California Supreme Court. If confirmed, Jenkins, 66, would be the third African American to serve on the states highest court. The governor nominated Jenkins, who his peers describe as a moderate Democrat, to replace Justice Ming W. Chen, a Republican Gov. Pete Wilson appointed in 1996. Chen retired in August. I am more excited about Martin Jenkins appointment than I was for my own, says Judge Teri L. Jackson, who Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed last year Associate Justice of the First District Court of Appeal, Division Three, in San Francisco. Jackson, who also grew up in San Francisco, has known Jenkins most of her life. ADVERTISEMENT I feel so lucky to have always had him as an older brother, mentor, confidante and friend. Now, the whole state of California will be lucky to have him we all can experience his brilliance together, his commitment to justice, his sense of fairness and his collegial style. He always tries to seek common ground and the common good, she said. He will bring practical and intellectual analysis to our Supreme Court. And it will come with compassion, courage and dedication. When Gov. Newsom announced Jenkins nomination, he hailed the jurists performance, reputation, character and temperament. Justice Jenkins is widely respected among lawyers and jurists, active in his Oakland community and his faith, and is a decent man to his core, Newsom said in a statement. As a critical member of my senior leadership team, Ive seen firsthand that Justice Jenkins possesses brilliance and humility in equal measure. The people of California could not ask for a better jurist or kinder person to take on this important responsibility. Jenkins currently serves as Gov. Newsoms judicial appointments secretary. In that role, Jenkins, who would be the first openly gay man to serve on the California Supreme Court, worked with Regional Judicial Advisory Selection Committees to help the governor nominate 45 judges across the state from diverse backgrounds. On Monday, Jenkins reacted to the news of his appointment. I am truly humbled and honored to be asked by the governor to continue serving the people of California on the Supreme Court, Jenkins said following the governors announcement. If confirmed, I will serve with the highest ethical standards that have guided me throughout my career, informed by the law and what I understand to be fair and just. Jenkins began his legal career as a prosecutor for the Alameda County District Attorney office. After that, he held several positions in public and private practice, including trial attorney for Pacific Bells legal department in San Francisco; an attorney appointed by President Ronald Reagan with the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice; and judgeships on the Oakland Municipal Court and the Alameda County Superior Court. ADVERTISEMENT Before accepting his current role in the governors office, Jenkins served as an associate justice on the California Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, from 2008 to 20019. Before that, he was a federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District. President Bill Clinton appointed him to that position. Jenkins completed his undergraduate degree at Santa Clara University and earned his Juris Doctor at the University of San Francisco School of Law. After college, he signed a contract to play in the NFL as a cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks, but he decided to go to law school instead. Jenkins, a devout Catholic, says he remembers working with his father as a kid cleaning offices and churches around San Francisco for extra money. His father was a custodian and clerk at Coit Tower, a historical landmark in San Francisco. His mother was a nurse. The other two African American justices who have served on the California Supreme Court are Justice Leondra Reid Kruger, who former Gov. Jerry Brown appointed in 2014, and Justice Wiley William Manuel, who former Gov. Jerry Brown also appointed in 1977 during his first term. Jenkins nomination is pending approval by the State Bars Commission on Judicial Nominees and confirmation by the Commission on Judicial Appointments. The members of that commission are California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and senior Presiding Justice of the state Court of Appeal J. Anthony Kline. As a Supreme Court Justice, Jenkins would earn an annual salary of $261,949. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 8) Presidential son and Deputy Speaker Paolo Pulong Duterte has refused to take sides as the power struggle between Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Speaker-in-waiting Lord Allan Velasco continues in the lower chamber. In a statement on Thursday, Duterte took a neutral stance on the ongoing tussle between the two camps, noting that he is all for a unified House. He even emphasized the friendships he formed in the 18th Congress, with Cayetano and Velasco among those whom he treasured most. As I am all for a unified House, and given the value I place in every member of Congress, I refuse to make any statement that will favor or damage either of my two good friends who are both asserting their right to be our Speaker. Duterte explained that with a term-sharing agreement forged by his father, Velasco has the right to assert his claim to the post. He also acknowledged that a considerable number of colleagues still support Cayetano in the House. If and when the day comes that we are called to select the leader of this House, I hope we vote for someone who is committed, who understands what we want to achieve for ou constituents, and who can fight for and with us, and unify the 300 members of this House of Representatives despite our many differences, he said. A few weeks ago, there were speculations of a brewing House shakeup to stage a coup d'etat against Cayetano, based on a message that Duterte sent to a fellow lawmaker. In that message, Duterte warned that he will declare the speakership and deputy speakership posts vacant following the concerns of some colleagues over "inequitable" budget allocations in their districts. However, no coup took place in the succeeding days. Honor the term-sharing deal In an interview with CNN Philippines The Source on Thursday, AAMBIS-OWA Party-list Rep. Sharon Garin reiterated that both congressmen should just honor their gentlemans agreement, a condition which President Rodrigo Duterte himself would have wanted in the first place. Garin, a Velasco ally, also insisted that the Speaker-in-waiting has more than the majority of votes come October 16, but Cayetanos camp claims otherwise. She added that the President did not emphasize the need to gather a significant number of votes when he brokered the deal last year, and when he met with both camps in the past days. He did not say that last Monday, nor two weeks ago in Malacanang. Walang kondisyon po sa 15-21 na iyan. Even when they signed the agreement or how they sealed the deal last year, wala ring condition, she said. The agreement was simple, dalawa kayo, para di na magulo, sharing na lang kayo. Gentlemans agreement. [Translation: President Duterte did not say that last Monday, nor two weeks ago in Malacanang. No such conditions were necessary in that 15-21 deal. Even when they signed the agreement or how they sealed the deal last year, there was no such condition. The agreement was simple. Since there is the two of you, just so we can fix this, share the term. Gentlemans agreement.] Session is currently suspended in the House until November 16 after Cayetano moved Tuesday to terminate debates on the 2021 budget. The amendment does not directly affect retirement income in any way, either by protecting retirements from taxation in the future or by preventing such a tax from being imposed. Lawmakers already have the power to make that change. Illinois is one of three states that levies an income tax but does not impose it on retirement income, such as pensions and IRA and 401(k) plans. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Julie Sciascia-Van Horn was hospitalized with COVID-19 in early April, suffering from some of the typical flu-like symptoms associated with the virus since its discovery: fever, severe cough and shortness of breath. Then came a litany of more unusual ailments the 51-year-old from southwest suburban Bridgeview, Ill., had never experienced before catching the novel coronavirus. She described a strange burning sensation on the soles of her feet, as if she were walking on coals. Two weeks after discharge from the hospital, she began noticing odd memory lapsesinexplicably forgetting phone numbers and similar routine facts once recalled without effort. Then over the summer her hair began falling out in chunks, with long chestnut-colored strands suddenly filling a brush or circling the shower drain. "I had a different symptom each day," Sciascia-Van Horn said. "I was wondering, what is this?" As medical experts and scientists grapple to understand the new virus, some patients are reporting a great variety of symptoms that fall outside the official lists issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other major health authorities. Often these conditions seem to appear or subside without warning, sometimes lingering for months after the virus is supposedly gone. Earlier in the pandemic, most medical efforts were focused on keeping the sickest patients alive and relieving overwhelmed hospitals. But now there's a growing need for research on the long-term health of those who survived the virus but don't seem to be fully recovering, said Natalie Lambert, associate research professor at Indiana University School of Medicine. "It's easy to forget that all we know about medicine and every medical treatment that has ever been developed, it's ... because a patient somewhere was suffering and needed help, needed treatment," said Lambert, who is studying the long-range health consequences of COVID-19. "The only reason that we have medicine and a way of treating patients is research was done with patients in the first place." Many sickened by coronavirus express frustration as they battle a new and mysterious illness with no road map and very little history. Unpredictable symptomsoften outside the typical diagnostic criteriaare cited as a common source of stress. In her work, Lambert has been struck by the spectrum of medical problems patients report, as well as how many different systems of the body appear to be taking a hit. Hair loss. New rashes and skin conditions. Unexplained cognitive troubles. Heart problems. Increased anxiety. Strange smells and tastes that don't go away. Unrelenting insomnia. In some cases, these maladies seem to appear or persist months after the virus is supposedly gone, with no clear timeline for when they might abate. "Has anybody experienced a sulfur smell in their nose and breath?" one woman wrote on the Facebook page of Survivor Corps, a grassroots group of more than 100,000 members who have been affected by the virus. "Tested positive, I'm 29 days since my first symptoms of COVID and last seven days I've had this terrible odor." "Numbness in my body and faceas of this morning 80% of my body is completely numb," another member posted on the site. "I have been battling horrible post-COVID symptoms since June. They have ebbed and flowed, I've felt better (then) crashed, up and down, up and down." "I say we all send our massive amounts of hair to the CDC," someone else wrote, beneath a photograph of a hand clutching a large clump of hair. Survivor Corps founder Diana Berrent on Friday will moderate a webinar with Dr. Anthony Fauci, asking the nations's top infectious disease expert questions about the virus on behalf of the group. Fauci has repeatedly warned the nation about potential long-term health effects of COVID-19, most recently at a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing last week. "A number of individuals who virologically have recovered from infection in fact have persistencemeasured in weeks to monthsof symptomatology that does not appear to be due to persistence of the virus," said Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Sciascia-Van Horn is also a member of Survivor Corps, where she said she has found support and treatment suggestions. "I know what I was and I'm not the same," she said. "And I'm tired of being not the same. I want to be what I was before." Spectrum of symptoms Some COVID-19 patients will have no symptoms. Others will get sick but recovery relatively quickly. Some 200,000 Americansmore than 8,000 from Illinoishave died from the virus. The pandemic's international death toll exceeded a million as of Tuesday. But there's another category of patients like Sciascia-Van Horn, those who survive but don't seem to fully recover weeks or even months later. They've been dubbed the COVID-19 "long-haulers," and their experiences don't seem to always align with the CDC's current list of roughly a dozen coronavirus symptoms. The agency notes, though, that this description "does not include all possible symptoms," and the list will be updated as new information about the virus surfaces. Lambert began studying the plight of long-haulers shortly after the pandemic struck, partnering with Survivor Corps to learn more. In a July, she and Survivor Corps conducted a survey of more than 1,500 patients who identified 98 symptoms experienced after contracting coronavirus, most falling outside the official CDC list. "It became clear almost immediately that the list of symptoms on the CDC website and the symptoms that patients were reporting were not a perfect match, by any means," Lambert said. The self-reported ailments cover a wide range: 924 respondents said they had difficulty concentrating; 714 described memory problems; 566 said they were suffering from joint pain; 509 experienced heart palpitations; 423 reported hair loss; 418 said their vision had become blurry and 247 developed some kind of a rash, among dozens of other conditions. The span of concerns and limited information can make it hard to seek treatment. Some long-haulers find "physicians are sometimes unable or unwilling to help patients manage lesser-known COVID-19 symptoms due to lack of research," said a report based on the survey. "Until research into long-term COVID-19 symptoms is conducted, these results indicate that an ever-increasing number of COVID-19 patients continue to suffer from their untreated symptoms." So many questions loom following the survey. How many of these conditions are directly related to COVID-19? Are trauma and anxiety factors? Does the underlying health of the patient correlate in any way with symptoms? Are there common themes or patterns that can offer scientists clues about the virus? To delve deeper, Lambert said she's coordinating another survey with more in-depth questions about patient demographics, underlying health conditions and detailed information about each reported symptom. The eventual goal would be predictive modeling: To try to anticipate what ailments different types of COVID-19 patients might experience, possibly determining sequencing of symptoms. "Imagine if we knew a particular patient was likely to get hair loss or likely to have heart problems," she said. "We could really try to help people head off these symptoms." Another benefit could be ranking the severity of ailments, so medical experts can better target the most painful or disruptive problems. "To make sure that COVID-19 research going forward really meets patients' most dire needs," she said. Mysteries of the virus Sciascia-Van Horn said she was surprised when she tested positive for coronavirus, in part because so many of her ailments didn't line up with the official criteria at the time. In addition to flu-like illness, she complained of nausea, gastrointestinal distress, congestion and a temporary loss of taste and smell. All of those symptoms are now on the CDC list, but weren't added until after Sciascia-Van Horn became symptomatic in late March. COVID-19 was primarily considered a respiratory disease in late 2019, when the first human cases emerged in Wuhan, China. "Coronaviruses are a class of respiratory viruses that range from the common cold to more serious illnesses like SARS and MERS," the Illinois Department of Public Health said in a January news release announcing the first patient in the state to test positive for the virus. "They can cause fever, cough, difficulty breathing, and pneumonia." The description has evolved as scientists and physicians learned more from the experiences of patients. But that process can be slow and frustrating for those who are sick and feeling confused or marginalized when the official guidelines don't match their reality. In late March, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery said coronavirus patients were increasingly experiencing a lost or reduced sense of taste or smell. "We propose that these symptoms be added to the list of screening tools for possible COVID-19 infection," the organization of ear, nose and throat specialists said in a news release. The CDC added loss of taste and smell and several other symptoms to the list in mid-April, though many local doctors and hospitals reported already using this criteria prior to the change. Congestion, runny nose, nausea and diarrhea were added in mid-May. Now more COVID-19 patients are describing extreme hair loss, rashes and other new skin problems. A video of actor and political activist Alyssa Milano displaying her post-COVID-19 hair loss went viral last month. "Wear a damn mask," she said at the end of the clip. Dermatologists around the world are seeking more information about hair loss, rashes and a condition dubbed "COVID toes"toes that become swollen and discoloredafter contracting the virus. The American Academy of Dermatology, based in northwest suburban Rosemont, includes on its website photos of some of the itchy, bumpy or hives-like rashes dermatologists are seeing in COVID-19 patients. The organization is compiling a COVID-19 registry, encouraging physicians across the globe to answer a survey on the experiences of their patients. One question reads: Did the patient have new skin, nail, hair, mucous membrane or other dermatologic changes in the setting of possible or confirmed COVID-19? As for Sciascia-Van Horn, her sense of taste and smell have returned. Her feet no longer feel as if they are on fire. She said her hair is slowly growing back, with some sections noticeably shorter than the rest. But she described persisting memory problems, chronic fatigue, breathing difficulties and higher levels of anxiety. She still can't take a deep breath and often feels winded after climbing one flight of stairs or walking her dog to the end of the block. Six months after her first symptoms, she said she is far from recovered. "Please be safe," she said. "Please take care of yourself. Please wear the mask. Listen to those of us who have COVID and are still having symptoms. And those people who lost their lives. Is not wearing a mask really worth it? We all don't know what this virus truly is." Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 Chicago Tribune Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. 3 October 2020 Dear Chief Minister, Just when we thought that nothing could numb our consciences and brains further, the handling of the Hathras incident by the Uttar Pradesh administration has shown that, as a nation, we are plumbing the depths of depravity and callousness in governance. A young Dalit woman is brutally violated. Almost three weeks after the incident, the police are yet to confirm the crime of rape and are still spinning theories around it, although the video of what amounts to her dying declaration seems to confirm it. Her neck was lacerated, her spinal column was broken and there were cuts on her tongue. Instead of promptly admitting her to a hospital with advanced facilities for dealing with trauma, she was allowed to languish in the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, Aligarh. She was moved to Delhi only two weeks after the incident, that too on the request of her family, a case of too little, too late. What followed was an even greater travesty of justice and basic human values. After her death, her body was despatched post haste to her village and cremated in the dead of night by policemen. Being a person attached to a persuasion of the Hindu faith, you would be well aware that Hindu customs require the nearest kin to offer agni to the mortal remains. Both the sacred traditions and the familys pleas that they would perform the cremation in the morning were ignored. To add insult to injury, a policeman is reported to have told the bereaved family that they were also to blame and the District Magistrate has apparently been captured on video making veiled threats to the family that they should be careful about their statements to the media, because the officials would be around even after the media departs. It is being touted in the media that the Prime Minister has asked you to afast tracka this case to secure an early conviction. With our experience as erstwhile administrators in different departments of the central and state governments, our group of former civil servants had, in the past, highlighted the brazen violations of the rule of law in the Unnao rape case and in the murder of the police inspector in Bulandshahr. We note with concern that, even after two years, the ghastly murder of a brother officer has not stirred the UP police and your administration to bring the case to closure. In these circumstances, we may be forgiven for viewing UPas fast track justice system with scepticism. We are, in fact, concerned with the novel interpretations of fast track justice in the state governed by you. In recent days, we have seen two instances where alleged criminals have met their deaths while being transported by the police to Uttar Pradesh. Even if they were guilty of the offences listed against them, they were entitled, under the Constitution of India and the laws of the land, to a fair trial. Denial of this right amounts to violation of Article 21 of the Constitution. Your administration has also initiated draconian measures against anti-CAA protesters, including detention and levy of punitive fines. You seem to believe in combining the roles of judge and executioner, as evidenced in a recent interview where you advocated the philosophy of aan eye for an eye.a Equally reprehensible, some months ago, you ordered the withdrawal of cases registered against you in the past. Politicians never tire of saying athe law must take its coursea . Why depart from this article of faith for your party and government? . The Hathras district administration feels it can flout human sentiments at will, apart from rapidly disposing of evidence in cases of offences against the body. All those complicit in these violations of law and tradition must be punished. While it is in the order of things that you have suspended the Superintendent of Police, there are adequate grounds for immediate suspension of the District Magistrate as well; we insist that departmental proceedings against them be started at the earliest. Action under Section 4 of The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 must be initiated against all those officers and men of the district police and the executive magistracy who have wilfully neglected the duties enjoined on them under this Act. We also note with regret that the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police have failed abjectly in exercising control over a highly compromised administration. We urge them to live up to the proud traditions of the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service, in whom the people of this country still repose faith. The meek surrender of the Uttar Pradesh bureaucracy and police, especially its All-India Services, to political diktat has shamed all of us who deem it a badge of honour to belong to these services. But, ultimately, all responsibility rests with you as the Chief Executive of the state. Your actions over the past three and a half years give us little reason to believe that your actions are motivated by respect for the rule of law. We urge you to conduct your administration in accordance with the letter and spirit of the Constitution of India, to which you have sworn allegiance when you assumed office. In the present instance, we hope you will deliver justice to the victim and her family, without fear or favour, despite the efforts of specific upper caste groups to interfere with the course of justice. We also hope you will ensure that officers of your administration implement the rule of law in a just and fair manner. SATYAMEVA JAYATE Yours sincerely, (92 signatories, as below) 1. Anita Agnihotri IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Department of Social Justice Empowerment, GoI 2. Salahuddin Ahmad IAS (Retd.) Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of Rajasthan 3. Shafi Alam IPS (Retd.) Former Director-General, National Crime Records Bureau, GoI 4. S.P. Ambrose IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Secretary, Ministry of Shipping & Transport, GoI 5. Anand Arni R&AW (Retd.) Former Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, GoI 6. N. Bala Baskar IAS (Retd.) Former Principal Adviser (Finance), Ministry of External Affairs, GoI 7. Vappala Balachandran IPS (Retd.) Former Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, GoI 8. Gopalan Balagopal IAS (Retd.) Former Special Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal 9. Chandrashekhar Balakrishnan IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Coal, GoI 10. Rana Banerji IAS (Retd.) Former Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat (R&AW), GoI 11. Sharad Behar IAS (Retd.) Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh 12. Madhu Bhaduri IFS (Retd.) Former Ambassador to Portugal 13. Meeran C Borwankar IPS (Retd.) Former Commissioner of Police, Pune, Govt. of Maharashtra 14. Ravi Budhiraja IAS (Retd.) Former Chairman, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, GoI 15. Sundar Burra IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra 16. R. Chandramohan IAS (Retd.) Former Principal Secretary, Transport and Urban Development, Govt. of NCT of Delhi 17. Rachel Chatterjee IAS (Retd.) Former Special Chief Secretary, Agriculture, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh 18. Kalyani Chaudhuri IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal 19. Anna Dani IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra 20. Vibha Puri Das IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, GoI 21. P.R. Dasgupta IAS (Retd.) Former Chairman, Food Corporation of India, GoI 22. Nitin Desai IES (Retd.) Former Secretary and Chief Economic Adviser, Ministry of Finance, GoI 23. Keshav Desiraju IAS (Retd.) Former Health Secretary, GoI 24. M.G. Devasahayam IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Govt. of Haryana 25. Sushil Dubey IFS (Retd.) Former Ambassador to Sweden 26. A.S. Dulat IPS (Retd.) Former OSD on Kashmir, Prime Ministeras Office, GoI 27. K.P. Fabian IFS (Retd.) Former Ambassador to Italy 28. Gourisankar Ghosh IAS (Retd.) Former Mission Director, National Drinking Water Mission, GoI 29. Suresh K. Goel IFS (Retd.) Former Director General, Indian Council of Cultural Relations, GoI 30. S.K. Guha IAS (Retd.) Former Joint Secretary, Department of Women & Child Development, GoI 31. H.S. Gujral IFoS (Retd.) Former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Govt. of Punjab 32. Meena Gupta IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Environment & Forests, GoI 33. Ravi Vira Gupta IAS (Retd.) Former Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India 34. Wajahat Habibullah IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, GoI and Chief Information Commissioner 35. Deepa Hari IRS (Resigned) 36. Sajjad Hassan IAS (Retd.) Former Commissioner (Planning), Govt. of Manipur 37. Kamal Jaswal IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Department of Information Technology, GoI 38. Najeeb Jung IAS (Retd.) Former Lieutenant Governor, Delhi 39. Rahul Khullar IAS (Retd.) Former Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India 40. K. John Koshy IAS (Retd.) Former State Chief Information Commissioner, West Bengal 41. Ajai Kumar IFoS(Retd.) Former Director, Ministry of Agriculture, GoI 42. Brijesh Kumar IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Department of Information Technology, GoI 43. Aloke B. Lal IPS (Retd.) Former Director General (Prosecution), Govt. of Uttarakhand 44. Subodh Lal IPoS (Resigned) Former Deputy Director General, Ministry of Communications, GoI 45. Harsh Mander IAS (Retd.) Govt. of Madhya Pradesh 46. Amitabh Mathur IPS (Retd.) Former Director, Aviation Research Centre and Former Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, GoI 47. Aditi Mehta IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of Rajasthan 48. Shivshankar Menon IFS (Retd.) Former Foreign Secretary and Former National Security Adviser 49. Sonalini Mirchandani IFS (Resigned) GoI 50. Sunil Mitra IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Finance, GoI 51. Noor Mohammad IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, National Disaster Management Authority, Govt. of India 52. Avinash Mohananey IPS (Retd.) Former Director General of Police, Govt. of Sikkim 53. Jugal Mohapatra IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Department of Rural Development, GoI 54. Deb Mukharji IFS (Retd.) Former High Commissioner to Bangladesh and former Ambassador to Nepal 55. Shiv Shankar Mukherjee IFS (Retd.) Former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom 56. Pranab S. Mukhopadhyay IAS (Retd.) Former Director, Institute of Port Management, GoI 57. P.G.J. Nampoothiri IPS (Retd.) Former Director General of Police, Govt. of Gujarat 58. Amitabha Pande IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Inter-State Council, GoI 59. Mira Pande IAS (Retd.) Former State Election Commissioner, West Bengal 60. Niranjan Pant IA&AS (Retd.) Former Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General, GoI 61. Alok Perti IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Coal, GoI 62. R. Poornalingam IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, GoI 63. R.M. Premkumar IAS (Retd.) Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra 64. N.K. Raghupathy IAS (Retd.) Former Chairman, Staff Selection Commission, GoI 65. V.P. Raja IAS (Retd.) Former Chairman, Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission 66. C. Babu Rajeev IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, GoI 67. K. Sujatha Rao IAS (Retd.) Former Health Secretary, GoI 68. Satwant Reddy IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Chemicals and Petrochemicals, GoI 69. Vijaya Latha Reddy IFS (Retd.) Former Deputy National Security Adviser, GoI 70. Julio Ribeiro IPS (Retd.) Former Adviser to Governor of Punjab & former Ambassador to Romania 71. Manabendra N. Roy IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal 72. A.K. Samanta IPS (Retd.) Former Director General of Police (Intelligence), Govt. of West Bengal 73. Deepak Sanan IAS (Retd.) Former Principal Adviser (AR) to Chief Minister, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh 74. G. Sankaran IC&CES (Retd.) Former President, Customs, Excise and Gold (Control) Appellate Tribunal 75. S. Satyabhama IAS (Retd.) Former Chairperson, National Seeds Corporation, GoI 76. N.C. Saxena IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Planning Commission, GoI 77. Ardhendu Sen IAS (Retd.) Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal 78. Abhijit Sengupta IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Culture, GoI 79. Aftab Seth IFS (Retd.) Former Ambassador to Japan 80. Ashok Kumar Sharma IFoS (Retd.) Former MD, State Forest Development Corporation, Govt. of Gujarat 81. Ashok Kumar Sharma IFS (Retd.) Former Ambassador to Finland and Estonia 82. Navrekha Sharma IFS (Retd.) Former Ambassador to Indonesia 83. Sujatha Singh IFS (Retd.) Former Foreign Secretary, GoI 84. Tirlochan Singh IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, National Commission for Minorities, GoI 85. Jawhar Sircar IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Culture, GoI, & former CEO, Prasar Bharati 86. Narendra Sisodia IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Finance, GoI 87. Thanksy Thekkekera IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Chief Secretary, Minorities Development, Govt. of Maharashtra 88. P.S.S. Thomas IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission 89. Geetha Thoopal IRAS (Retd.) Former General Manager, Metro Railway, Kolkata 90. Hindal Tyabji IAS (Retd.) Former Chief Secretary rank, Govt. of Jammu & Kashmir 91. Ashok Vajpeyi IAS (Retd.) Former Chairman, Lalit Kala Akademi 92. Ramani Venkatesan IAS (Retd.) Former Director General, YASHADA, Govt. of Maharashtra YEREVAN. The negotiation phase begins. As you know, the parties [to the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict] are going to meet in Geneva and Moscow. Andranik Kocharyan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Defense and Security of the National Assembly of Armenia and an MP of the ruling My Step bloc, said this during Thursdays briefings in parliament. According to the lawmaker, these parties will try to discuss the situation and find a format for a settlement of the conflict. "But you see for yourself that the whole negotiation process may change after such long-lasting battles. And if in the past there was talk of a peaceful solution to the conflict, finding a way out of the current situation, then Azerbaijan and Turkey decided to resolve the issue through the use of brute force. [But] they did not succeed, and now this way out of this situation has become a problem for the whole world. The Karabakh issue is no longer solely the issue of Karabakh," Kocharyan explained. A plane filled with cocaine crashed after a high-speed airborne chase with the authorities. On October 7, the defense ministry stated that the aircraft that carried half a ton of cocaine boarded two people who died upon impact. Cocaine-filled plane The plane was intercepted by Mexican military helicopters in Mexican airspace. According to the defense ministry statement, the military helicopters pursued the cocaine-filled plane for hundreds of miles until the aircraft ran out of fuel and crashed in Botija, Queretaro, on October 5. The ministry added that the plane was carrying about 400 kilograms or 880 pounds of cocaine, as reported by CNN. In the past few months, numerous planes have crashed or have been abandoned in southern Mexico and Central America after the defense military has tightened their security due to the rampant aerial smuggling. Also Read: US-Mexico to Bring Help to Businesses in the United States The plane crash reported on October 5 happened just two weeks after a jet from Mexico crashed in a Guatemalan jungle. The said jet was stolen and was filled with drugs and illegal weapons. It had made a trip to Venezuela before meeting its demise in the jungle near a hidden airstrip. According to New York Post., the two men who were on board of the business jet were pronounced dead after the crash., according to New York Post. Jet stolen from Mexico On September 23, two thieves stole a business jet from an airport in Mexico, filled the jet with illegal weapons and drugs when it flew to Venezuela and flew to Guatemala, where it crashed. According to the statement released by the authorities on September 24, a total of four bodies were found on the site where the business jet BAE 125, also known as Hawker 800, crashed. Due to the severity of the incident, the burned bodies of the men were not immediately identified. Still, the authorities could find the illegal weapons and the drugs inside the burned wreckage of the business jet. Authorities noted that the round-trip illicit flight began in Cuernavaca, south of Mexico City. According to ABC News., the business jet arrived in the city on August 10, and it was parked at a private hangar at the airport. Mexico's Civil Aviation Agency reported that three men asked permission to fill up the tank and perform maintenance checks on the jet. But the men taxied to a runaway and took off without authorization and without filing a flight plan. Authorities were quick to track the plane, and the Guatemalan army stated that the aircraft made a quick stop in Venezuela before it made its way to Guatemala. The reason behind its crash is still unknown. The drugs and weapons found on the plane were believed to have been loaded when the plane made a quick stop at Venezuela, known as a major transit hub for cocaine and other drugs in South America. Monitoring private planes is one of the steps taken by the defense military and the aviation agencies as drug smugglers look for new ways to transport their products after the U.S military and Mexican military banned drones near the border as smugglers use them to deliver drugs across the country. Related Article: K-9 Dog Sniffs Out 24 Pounds of Cocaine Hidden in NYC Pad @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. 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. 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. Korean dramas are our number one companion during this home quarantine period. Don't you agree? This is the best past time hobby that some of us usually do during our boring days. Not only for its amazing plot lines that make us hooked and the swoon-worthy Oppas, but Korean dramas also give us witness a glimpse of those amazing architectural structures in the world that we might not be able to the visitor experience. The examples we've spotted in these K-Dramas are some of the amazing creations by some of the world's most talented architects. So let's appreciate and enjoy these stunning structures and be amazed at how wonderful they are created. Scroll down to see these sites! The Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) is one of the most famous landmarks of the Korean design industry. A world-renowned architect, Zaha Hadid design this amazing structure. This place is located at the center of the Dongdaemun area. Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) functions as a venue for design-related shows and conferences, exhibitions, and other events and gatherings. If you have seen the dramas 'Record of Youth', 'Love Alarm,' 'Fated To Love You,' 'My Love from the Stars,' and many more, then most probably you are familiar with this place. The Changdeokgung Palace Changdeokgung Palace is also known as Donggwol, the Eastern Palace. It is located in the east of Gyeongbokgung Palace and was the Joseon government's home for 270 years! This was also considered as the most favored residence of the Dynasty kings. Most historical dramas are shot in this amazing place like the hit Netflix series 'Kingdom 1 and 2', 'Jewel in the Palace,' and many more. The Fountain de Tournay Fountain de Tournay is located in Quebec, Canada. This is a majestic fountain that stands in front of the Parliament Building. This scenic fountain was given to the City of Quebec as a gift from La Maison Simons, who is a local family retail business, to mark the city's 400th anniversary. This tall fountain has been a source of pride for Quebec City residents, and it is illuminated at night to give delight to tourists passing by. The 'Goblin' fans are surely familiar with this place, and some of their scenes were shot during the autumn season, which highlighted the maple leaf's beautiful colors. The Alhambra The Alhambra is an ancient palace, a haven, and a citadel located in Granada, Spain. The eighth-century-old site was named as The Alhambra because of its reddish walls and towers that surrounded the historical place. This place is described as "a pearl set in emeralds" by Moorish Poets. If you're a Park Shin Hye and Hyun Bin fan, then you know this majestic place as well, where they shot the iconic "Memories Of The Alhambra." The Monastery Of Panagi Skopiotissa The Monastery of Panagia Skopiotissa is located on the island of Zakynthos, Greece. This architectural structure is considered as the oldest church on the island. The Monastery of Panagia Skopiotissa was built before the mid 15th century. In 1534 and it was created in the shape of a cross. When you go inside the church, you will see beautiful wall paintings of saints and an icon of the Panagia Skopiotissa. This is where some scenes of the hit drama "Descendants of the Sun" were shot, and it's wonderful just by watching it in the drama. Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 17:48:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BERLIN, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- German stocks were off to a good start on Thursday, with the benchmark DAX index rising by 82.66 points, or 0.64 percent, opening at 13,011.23 points. The biggest winner among Germany's 30 largest listed companies at the start of trading was aircraft engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines, increasing by 3 percent, followed by chemical giant BASF with 2.16 percent and building materials company HeidelbergCement with 1.82 percent. Shares of Daimler grew by 0.23 percent. The German carmaker saw the lowest gains among the 30 companies at the start of trading on Thursday. German exports in August decreased by 10.2 percent year-on-year to 91.2 billion euros (107.3 billion U.S. dollars). Imports declined by 7.9 percent to 78.5 billion euros, the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) announced on Thursday. The number of insolvencies of German companies in July declined by 16.7 percent year-on-year, but the obligation to file for insolvency has been suspended since March. "Economic problems of many businesses owing to the coronavirus crisis have not been reflected yet by an increase in reported business insolvencies," Destatis noted. The yield on German ten-year bonds went down 0.012 percentage points to minus 0.505 percent, and the euro was trading almost unchanged at 1.1767 U.S. dollars, decreasing by 0.01 percent on Thursday morning. Enditem BP will boost security at its oil and gas assets and operations in Azerbaijan after reports of alleged attacks near an important oil pipeline as the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan escalates, the oil supermajor said on Wednesday. BP, which started operations in Azerbaijan in 1995, is one of the largest oil investors in the country and operates the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) oilfield in the Caspian Sea, the Shah Deniz offshore gas and condensate field, and the pipelines Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) and South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP). Neighbors Armenia and Azerbaijan have been disputing for decades the Nagorno-Karabakh regionan enclave officially part of Azerbaijan but run by ethnic Armenians. Recent clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces have killed hundreds of people, including civilians. The hostilities, which flared up at the end of September, are the worst fighting in the area since 1994 when Armenia and Azerbaijan ended a six-year war over Nagorno-Karabakh. The truce in 1994, however, did officially end the dispute. BP is now looking to increase security at its operated assets in Azerbaijana large oil and gas producer in the regionespecially after reports of alleged attacks near oil pipelines. On Tuesday, Azerbaijan accused Armenia of targeting the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, to which Armenian Defense Ministry press secretary Shushan Stepanian replied that Azerbaijan's reports of Armenian troops' attempt to strike the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline are outright lies. In a statement to Reuters on Wednesday, BP said, We are especially worried about yesterdays reports of a missile attack, which was intercepted and destroyed by Azerbaijans air defence systems in the vicinity of BTC and SCP export pipelines. While the security of all assets which BP operates on behalf of the Azerbaijan government and our partners is provided by the Azerbaijani government, we continue to work closely with the relevant authorities in an effort to take necessary measures to provide the protection of our personnel, operations and assets, BP added. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A Xinhua reporter watches as Xi remotely addresses the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 22 A Xinhua reporter watches as Xi remotely addresses the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 22 Credit - Mary AltafferAP You might think 2020 had been a pretty good year for China, at least when compared with the West. Though COVID-19 began its global march there, Chinas recovery has been remarkable. The governments unprecedented capacity for surveillance, large-scale testing, contact tracing and quarantine helped contain the outbreak inside China within two months. That success allowed for the restart of supply chains and enabled a state investment-led rebound. China could be the worlds only large economy to grow this year. And as second waves of COVID-19 appear in Europe and the U.S., China hasnt had any serious outbreaks over the past month. Life there is nearly back to normal. A closer look, however, reveals Chinas leadership has had a rough year. Many Chinese and others around the world likely havent forgotten that the pandemic story began with a clumsy cover-up in Wuhan and a failed bid to silence Chinese doctors who tried to expose the true scale of danger. An illness that might have been contained inside China was allowed to cross borders. We will never know how many lives might have been saved in China and around the world if Chinas political leaders, who put the blame on bungling local officials, had behaved responsibly. President Xi Jinping has tried to divert domestic attention from the ruling partys failures with a much more aggressive foreign policy. A new security law in Hong Kong unveiled this summer is designed to crush pro-democracy activism and compromise whats left of the citys autonomy. A tougher approach on Taiwan, aggressive pushback against international criticism of mass incarceration of Muslim Uighurs in the Xinjiang region and a harder line on maritime territorial claims on the South China Sea are intended, in part, to rally Chinese citizens to their flag. Story continues This more assertive Beijing has helped push relations with the U.S. from bad to worse. The Senate responded to Chinas crackdown in Hong Kong with a rare unanimous vote in favor of sanctions. Washington continues to draw closer to Taiwan on both security and economic questions. On the South China Sea, the Trump Administration announced that it had officially aligned with a 2016 ruling from the Hague that explicitly denies Chinese claims there. And the Administration has continued its campaign against Chinese tech firms like Huawei and TikTok. Speaking of Huawei, Britain dealt China a serious setback this summer as well. Brexit has only made strong economic ties with China that much more important. Thats part of why Boris Johnsons government announced in January that the U.K. had chosen the Chinese tech giant for construction of its 5G networks over U.S. objections. Then in July, Johnson reversed course. Anger at Chinas COVID-19 cover-up, fury over Hong Kong, and new U.S. tech regulations targeting Huaweis supply chains made that decision much easier. In Europe, Xi has badly damaged Chinese credibility, even among governments that want stronger economic ties. In addition to Chinas behavior over Hong Kong and Xinjiang and its bullying responses to international criticism, the European Commission accused China in June of running disinformation campaigns during the height of the pandemic in Europe. All of this has set back efforts to forge a China-E.U. investment treaty that would boost growth on both sides. China hopes to undo some of the recent damage to its international image with the development of a COVID-19 vaccine that might be especially welcome in developing countries, particularly those that fear theyll be among the last to receive a vaccine made in the U.S. or Europe. That might work for China, so long as the product isnt as shoddily made as some of the COVID-19 supplies that China shipped to Europe earlier this year. For now, Xi faces no organized opposition to his third leadership term in 2022. A recent 18-year prison sentence for an influential property developer who dared criticize Xi makes clear that hes on guard. And a continuing economic recovery should help him. But this has been a surprisingly tough year for a Chinese leader who has faced few genuine stumbling blocks during his time in power. Now his attention turns to a U.S. election that might just elevate a new President more willing and better able to bring together all those who are angry at China into a more united front. At the outset of Wednesdays vice presidential debate, the Democratic nominee for vice president, Sen. Kamala Harris of California, went after the Trump administrations handling of the coronavirus pandemic, calling it the greatest failure in U.S. presidential history. The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country, Harris said on the debate stage at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. And here are the facts: 210,000 dead people in our country in just the last several months, over 7 million people who have contracted this disease, one in five businesses closed. Were looking at frontline workers who have been treated like sacrificial workers. We are looking at 30 million people who, in the last several months, had to file for unemployment. Harris, a former prosecutor and state attorney general, then zeroed in on revelations in recordings made by Bob Woodward, the Washington Post reporter, that President Trump purposefully downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic to the American people. And heres the thing, on Jan. 28, the vice president and the president were informed about the nature of this pandemic, Harris said. They were informed that its lethal in consequence, that it is airborne, that it will affect young people and that it would be contracted because it is airborne. And they knew what was happening, and they didnt tell you. They knew and they covered it up, she continued. The president said it was a hoax. They minimized the seriousness of it. The Democratic candidate for vice president, Sen. Kamala Harris of California, speaks at the vice presidential debate with Vice President Mike Pence on Oct. 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Pence, whom Trump appointed in February to lead a task force to combat the spread of the coronavirus, was pressed by moderator Susan Page as to why the U.S. death toll as a percentage of its population was higher than almost every other wealthy nation on Earth. Our nation has gone through a very challenging time this year, but I want the American people to know that from the very first day, President Donald Trump has put the health of America first, said Pence, who has often begun his remarks at task force briefings by praising the president. Story continues Before there were more than five cases in the United States, all people who had returned from China, President Donald Trump did what no other American president had ever done, and that was: He suspended all travel from China, the second-largest economy in the world. Now, senator, Joe Biden opposed that decision. He said it was xenophobic and hysterical. But I can tell you, having led the White House coronavirus task force, that that decision alone by President Trump bought us invaluable time to stand up the greatest national mobilization since World War II, and I believe it saved hundreds of thousands of American lives. When it was her time to respond to Pence, Harris said, Whatever the vice president is claiming that the administration has done, clearly, it hasnt worked. The vice president is the head of the task force, she continued, and knew on Jan. 28 how serious this was, and thanks to Bob Woodward, we learned that they knew about it. When the moderator tried to get Harris to wrap up her answer, and Pence interjected, Harris scolded him: Mr. Vice President, Im speaking. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: 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 It was disappointing for Mohamed Khashaba that his son Yahia wouldn't begin Grade 1 this year on P.E.I. "School here for him will be great," Khashaba said. "Two years ago, his mother is trying to teach him little of English, just preparing him, [so] when he come here in Canada, he will not be shocked." Instead, his son remains in Damietta, Egypt, with his mother Sara Saad. While Khashaba and his son are Canadian citizens, his wife of eight years is not. "By the time he was born in Egypt, I was already a Canadian here," Khashaba said. "So he got his citizenship certificate but the thing is how can he travel without his mother? Like we are a package a family together." In March 2019, Khashaba applied for his wife to join him in Canada through the immigration process for spouses. Neither Saad nor their son, Yahia, has been to Canada before. The last time Khashaba was able to see them in person was during a visit to Egypt in November 2019. Submitted by Mohamed Khashaba According to the federal Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website, an application of this nature should take about 12 months. In a written statement to the CBC News on Aug.18, the department said the global pandemic "has resulted in unprecedented challenges at the border." "The health and safety of people who use the immigration system and staff remains a top priority," the statement said. Submitted by Mohamed Khashaba IRCC officials said they continue to accept and process applications during the pandemic "notwithstanding that our operational capacity remains at a limited capacity both domestically and abroad." On Sept. 24, the department announced it was increasing the number of decision makers on spousal applications in Canada by 66 per cent. The plan is to use new technologies to allow staff working from home to deal with the complicated documents keeping privacy and security in mind. Our government will continue to find new ways to keep families together. Minister of Immigration Marco Mendicino Story continues "We understand that the last few months have not been easy for those who are far from their loved ones in these difficult times," said Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marco Mendicino in the statement. "This is why we are accelerating the approval of spousal applications as much as possible. Our government will continue to find new ways to keep families together." The plan is to work through the backlog at a higher speed, with the goal of having almost 50,000 decisions made by the end of the year. Movement for change Other Canadians are facing similar extended wait times. During the pandemic, a grassroots movement rose up called the Spousal Sponsorship Advocates. Misha Pelletier, one of the organizers, is waiting for updates on her husband's application from Tunisia. Their application went out in July 2019. Submitted by Misha Pelletier "We are trying to come up with solutions in order for our files to be treated in a timely manner," Pelletier said. "And one of those solutions would be a special temporary visa, which would give access to having our spouses with us while our sponsorships are being processed." Pelletier said members have been trying to obtain temporary resident visas but applications are denied based on article 179b of the immigration and refugee protection regulations a section that states one of the conditions for granting a temporary visa is that the officer must believe the applicant will leave the country once it has expired. "Why would somebody put at risk a permanent residency because they're visiting their spouse?" Pelletier asked. "I mean, who wants to work in the black market all their life when they can receive a permanent residency?" Verity Stevenson/CBC The group organized rallies in different major centres in the country including Montreal and Edmonton. A petition with over 6,000 signatures was tabled in the House of Commons. Another online petition had over 16,000 signatures at the beginning of October. The group has written letters to the government and has an active online presence to get the word out to politicians and other Canadians. There is babies being born and fathers seeing their children through FaceTime. Misha Pelletier, Spousal Sponsorship Advocates Pelletier said it has been a challenge for many families who can only communicate through video conferencing. "I must say that this is not the way a relationship should be, on a screen," she said. "There is babies being born and fathers seeing their children through FaceTime." Pelletier said the group is pleased to see the government working to deal with the backlog and reunite families but said there are still many barriers in place. A line of communication has opened between the minister's office and the advocacy group, Pelletier said, and they are hopeful that will lead to change. 'I need my family' Khashaba said the government's effort to work through more applications hasn't changed the fact that his family has been waiting for 19 months since they first applied. John Robertson/CBC He said his wife applied for a temporary resident visa in early September so they could see each another in person for the first time in nearly a year. The application was denied because of article 179b leaving the family to continue waiting for the federal government to work through spousal sponsorship applications. Khashaba, his wife and son talk through video calls every day, he said, but it's not the same as being together in person. "It means actually, emotionally, I am complete," Khashaba said. "I need my family, I cannot do it any longer alone." More from CBC P.E.I. In a normal election year in any given state, hundreds or even thousands of absentee ballots get tossed for everything from late postmarks to open envelopes. North Carolina rejected 546 ballots for missing witness signatures in the 2012 presidential race. Virginia tossed 216 ballots in the 2018 midterms because they arrived in an unofficial envelope. Arizona discarded 1,516 ballots for nonmatching signatures the same year. The 2020 presidential election will not be normal. Absentee ballot rejections this November are projected to reach historic levels, risking widespread disenfranchisement of minority voters and the credibility of election results, a USA TODAY, Columbia Journalism Investigations and PBS series FRONTLINE investigation found. A forklift operator loads absentee ballots for mailing on Sept. 3, 2020, in Raleigh, North Carolina. At least 1.03 million absentee ballots could be tossed if half of the nation votes by mail. Discarded votes jump to 1.55 million if 75% of the country votes absentee. In the latter scenario, more than 185,000 votes could be lost in Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin states considered key to capturing the White House. These numbers are conservative and based on 2016 rejection rates, when fewer voters submitted absentee ballots. Record numbers of voters will be voting absentee for the first time in 2020, and voters new to vote-by-mail are at greater risk of making mistakes. If errors push the rejection rate up just 2%, about 2.15 million votes would be cast aside roughly the population of New Mexico. The stakes could not be higher. Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania rejected about 60,000 votes in primaries earlier this year, said Amherst College law professor Lawrence Douglas, only a few thousand votes shy of President Donald Trumps margin of victory in those states in 2016. A result like this in November could cast doubt on who actually carried the key swing states, with the overall election hanging in the balance, said Douglas, who added that such an outcome could trigger a chaotic welter of lawsuits and clashing conspiracy theories. Story continues President Donald Trump, during the first presidential debate against Democratic nominee Joe Biden, made the unproven claim that discarded ballots are evidence that voter fraud will undermine the 2020 election. CJI projects the three states could discard 44,499 to 66,749 votes in the presidential election. Confusion over rules and logistical problems with mail could create a toxic brew in close races, said attorney Jarret Berg, co-founder of VoteEarlyNY, a nonprofit providing information on how to vote in New York. Im concerned about ideological bloodbath, Berg said. Not everyone is equally likely to lose their vote. In 2016, rejected absentee ballots fell along racial, ethnic and wealth divides. Asian-Americans in California's Santa Clara County, New York City voters in largely Black and Hispanic boroughs and Arizona voters in counties with the lowest household incomes were all more likely to have their absentee votes jettisoned in the past presidential election. In some counties, rejected votes in November will be a small fraction of an estimated 70 million absentee ballots cast nationwide. However, even infrequent problems could nevertheless wind up affecting substantial numbers of people," said Michael Morley, an election law expert and assistant professor at Florida State University's College of Law. "Assume that everything goes perfectly 99.8% of the time, Morley said. Well, .02% of 70 million winds up being an awful lot of people." In New Hampshire, projected absentee ballot rejections are almost 12 times the vote margin of victory that sent Democrat Maggie Hassan to the U.S. Senate in 2016. In North Carolina, Roy Cooper, also a Democrat, won the governor's seat by just over 10,000 votes more than 8 times that number could be lost to absentee rejections this November. Discarded ballots dont automatically give either party an edge, as President Donald Trump has suggested. Its true that in certain states, the number of discarded ballots could match or top Trumps margin of victory in 2016. In Michigan, for example, 11,139 to 16,709 absentee votes could be rejected in the battleground state he won in 2016 by 10,704 votes. But USA TODAY/CJI also projects 182,000 to 273,000 more votes could be tossed this year in counties won by Democrats during the 2016 presidential election than in counties won by the GOP. The coming wave of absentee ballot rejections is not a result of voter fraud, USA TODAY/CJI found, but instead the byproduct of 200 million eligible voters navigating an often confusing voting process where simple mistakes can cost a vote. Further, the rules are shifting: Lawsuits are driving down-to-the-wire changes on how to vote by mail, heightening the risk that even well-informed absentee voters will turn in a defective ballot. For months, the political groundwork has been laid to challenge vote-by-mail results. Attorney General William Barr in September wrongly claimed that 1,700 mail ballots had been fraudulently cast in Texas. Trump has decried absentee votes as fraudulent and rigged against him. In September, Trump refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose the election, citing his belief in widespread absentee ballot fraud. U.S. Attorney General William Barr on September 9, 2020, in Chicago, Illinois. Rejecting one ballot is not rejecting just one vote. Because a single ballot can have a dozen or more local and state contests, thousands of ballots rejected translates to hundreds of thousands of lost votes, said Kim Alexander, president of the nonprofit California Voter Foundation. "If this were a banking system, nobody would accept an error rate of that kind," Alexander said. Yet widespread ballot rejection is not inevitable, say election officials, voting advocates and academics. Election officials in almost every state cited missed deadlines for the majority of rejections in 2012, 2016 and 2018. Voters concerned over slow postal delivery may be able to put their ballot in a dropbox or bring it to the local election office, depending on state rules. Also working in voters' favor: Since 2016, new laws and court orders have led multiple states to offer voters a chance to fix ballot errors such as missing signatures, mismatched signatures and other procedural problems. Local elections officials want to help. "It's never a warm feeling to have to reject a ballot," said Ingham County, Michigan, clerk Barb Byrum. Local rejections may decide presidency Absentee rejections are projected to flood states featuring fierce political battlegrounds, according to CJI's analysis. Home to Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada, is expected to discard 6,126 to 9,190 ballots. New Orleans' parish rejected 285 in the last presidential contest this year, the number could pass 3,000. North Carolina expects no more than three in 10 will vote absentee, lowering rejected ballots to roughly 37,000 below CJI projections but thousands higher than the 4,800 discarded ballots in the last presidential election. If the rate of discarded ballots also grows, it could be "astronomical, said Alissa Ellis, advocacy director of Democracy North Carolina. Philadelphia County had three times Pennsylvania's rejection rate in the 2016 presidential election, all but one tossed for lacking a voter's signature. That involved just 461 absentee ballots. The county is projected to reject up to 14,682 absentee ballots this November. Last month, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court handed down a decision that could dramatically raise the number of rejected ballots in Philadelphia County to as much as 40,000, estimated Philadelphia City Commission chair Lisa Deely. Voters put their absentee ballot into a "privacy" envelope and then put that envelope into another envelope to be mailed. If they forget and use one envelope, their vote now won't be counted a common mistake, Deely said. "People just don't think about putting one envelope inside another envelope. It's just not something you do, Deely said. She warned of electoral chaos in November if state lawmakers don't address the issue. "It's just not fair to throw out a vote because of a technicality," she said. Wisconsin elections are often decided by razor-thin margins: It was considered a tipping-point state in 2016, giving Trump a victory margin there of just 22,748 votes. The state could lose 2,387 to 3,580 votes in November, CJI found, far below that threshold. But Wisconsins rate of rejection more than tripled in their April primary held amid COVID-19 compared with 2016's general election. Though it was a much smaller election, more than 23,000 ballots were tossed. Milwaukee resident Jennifer Taff holds a sign as she waits in line to vote at Washington High School in Milwaukee during the April primary. Im disgusted. I requested an absentee ballot almost three weeks ago and never got it. I have a father dying from lung disease and I have to risk my life and his just to exercise my right to vote." She said she had been in line for almost two hours. "I think any rejected ballot is a travesty. We don't want any legitimate voter to have their ballot go uncounted because of an administrative mishap, a missing signature, a slow mail delivery," said Barry Burden, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who analyzed Wisconsin absentee data. "But there's a secondary concern, which is the number of rejected ballots is large enough that it could affect the outcome of the election," Burden said. Rejection rates could also fall from 2016 levels, particularly if voters are allowed to fix certain errors before their vote is discarded. Georgia Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs said absentee rejection rates plummeted to roughly 1% in the recent primary because of post-2016 rules making it easier for voters to address those problems. Of 110,000 absentees cast for November, 40 have been rejected, she said. Louisiana, which adopted provisions to fix errors similar to Georgias, estimates about 20,000 of roughly 200,000 absentee ballots could be discarded, below the CJI projection of 32,000. "We hope your numbers are high," said Tyler Brey, spokesman for the secretary of state. "We hope we can bring it down to zero." Greatest impact on minority, lower income voters Milwaukee Rev. Greg Lewis risks more than most if he votes in person this November. For much of March, COVID-19 confined the 62-year-old to a hospital bed. "Four or five or six people who I knew, they died while I was in the ICU," he said. "I shouldn't even be here." But Lewis understands why Black voters like himself, who have long opted to vote in person, may head to the polls rather than vote absentee, despite the risk of COVID-19. Theres mistrust of the system," said Lewis, founder of the clergy-based get-out-the vote effort Souls to the Polls. "People dont think their votes are going to get counted, USA TODAY/CJI research found that in certain counties and states, voting absentee put communities of color at a disadvantage in 2016, a racial divide especially troubling given expected high turnout this November among minority groups. Combined, North Carolina counties with the largest percentage of Black residents rejected ballots at sharply higher rates than the rest of the state that year. Local election supervisors reported 7 of every 10 votes rejected in those counties were for fixable problems, such as missing witness signatures. But until an August court ruling, North Carolina did not have to notify voters and give them a chance to correct minor errors. It's not certain voters will get the relief. As of Oct. 8 less than a month before Election Day the fate of North Carolina election policy remains tied up in court. In New York, an absentee ballot cast in heavily minority Bronx, Queens, Kings and New York counties was greater than two times more likely to get rejected in 2016 compared with New York state as a whole. In Nevada counties with the largest percentage of Hispanic residents, an absentee vote was 2.2 times more likely to be rejected in 2016 than in counties that were less than 20% Hispanic. New Jersey, Louisiana, Georgia and Nevada all had higher rejection rates in majority-minority counties. Counting ballots at the Passaic County, New Jersey Board of Elections Living in wealthier counties could mean the difference between getting an absentee vote counted or discarded in certain states. As a group, voters in Pennsylvania counties where family income topped $50,000 were twice as likely to have their absentee ballot counted. In Wisconsin, it was voters in counties where household incomes topped $45,000 that had double the chance of having their ballot accepted. A similar pattern repeated in Florida, Arizona and North Carolina. Nationally, counties where the poverty rate was less than 1% also had a rejection rate of less than 1% in the last presidential election. But in counties where more than three of every 10 residents lived in poverty, the percentage of uncounted absentee ballots tripled. "It's kind of a luxury to be able to put something in the mail. Some people may say, 'Oh, well, what do you mean, you don't you just put it in your mailbox and stick the red flag up?' That's assuming I have a mailbox," said Rev. Charles Williams, the Midwestern regional director of the civil rights organization National Action Network. Post-election focus could be on signatures An apparently mismatched signature is not the most common cause of reported ballot rejections. But it is the only ballot rejection category based on a best guess, and for that reason, the one expected to trigger post-election scrutiny. "It is rife with uncertainty and one where all sides are lawyering up," said Gregory Miller, co-founder of The OSET Institute, whose TrustTheVote Project began focusing on absentee voting last January. Comparing a voters signature on a ballot to their signature on official documents, such as voter registration, is one way to guard against fraud. Verifying a signature typically requires a ballot-by-ballot examination and a judgment call by a panel or election officials. Training varies not just from state to state but in some cases from county to county. Stress, the type of pen used, whether a voter frequently signs their name and age can all affect any one signature. President George H.W. Bush's signature in 1972, for instance, is noticeably different from his signature when in the White House just 13 years later. Millennials and Gen-Xers have less experience signing paper documents, and in California they have been "much more likely to have their ballots rejected for bad signatures than older voters," said the California Voting Foundation's Alexander. "They're not used to providing a signature for verification purposes. And many of them are never even taught cursive in school anymore." William Gilligan, 83, is comfortable with paper but has had two strokes. Hes a plaintiff in a Pennsylvania lawsuit challenging signature verification and said he does not believe he could reliably sign his name the same way each time he does so. Susan Avery, of Brattleboro, Vt., casts her vote for Democrat presidential candidate, Joe Biden, while filling out her November election ballot that she received in the mail on Monday, Sept. 28, 2020. Some local elections officials are using signature verification software. But a Stanford Law School study showed that in California, without human review, automation increases the rejection rate by 1.7 points a 74% increase for the average rejection rate." Minority voters in California, Florida and Arizona have been hit hard by signature questions. In Florida, seven of every 10 absentee votes tossed for mismatched signatures in the last presidential contest were in heavily Hispanic counties. A 2017 study of four California counties found that Asian-Americans' absentee votes were disproportionately discarded because of mismatched signatures. And in a lawsuit in August, the Navajo Nation cited high rates of discarded votes based on signature mismatches. Given the expected surge of absentees, even the best trained elections worker is more likely to make mistakes, said Eddie Perez, OSET's Director of Technology Development & Open Standards. "It comes down to how many hours a day can someone with weary eyes do this work." Why ballots get rejected Even before COVID-19 triggered more than 140 absentee-related lawsuits over how and whether a person can vote by mail, voters had to navigate an often confusing patchwork of requirements that differ from state to state. Wisconsin requires a witness. Alabama had required two witnesses or a notary, a rule that is now being challenged in court. People who helped mail a voter's ballot have risked fines in Connecticut and felony charges in Texas. "There are all those little rules," said Jan Combopiano, a member of the Executive Committee of the Brooklyn Voters Alliance. "We call it voter suppression by process." Stephanie Rushing, an election service coordinator with the City of Milwaukee Election Commission, counts ballots as workers were processing absentee ballots cast during the April primary on April 13, 2020 in Milwaukee. During the 2020 Milwaukee primary, people who most needed to isolate the elderly and ill were also required to bring someone into their home to verify their ballot, said Neil Albrecht, outgoing executive director of the Milwaukee Election Commission. People would call us in tears because they were so concerned about having someone come into their house and sign their absentee ballot as a witness, Albrecht told Frontline. And rather than place themselves at risk, by bringing someone into their home, to sign as a witness to their absentee ballot, they sent those absentee ballots in without a witness signature," Albrecht said. "And many of those absentee ballots then ended up being rejected. Other hurdles have nothing to do with paperwork. In their August lawsuit, the Navajo Nation argued that the Arizona portion of their sprawling 13-million-acre reservation has just 11 post offices. It takes 10 days for a ballot sent from Apache County to get to the Phoenix elections office. Meanwhile, ballots mailed from Scottsdale would take 18 hours. In Nevada, nine of 14 reservation and colony lands have no post office at all. Voters must know their states rules With roughly 340 voters, the Town of Colby, Wisconsin, exemplifies why ballot rejection rates in densely populated counties are higher than in more rural counties. If a voter there has a problem, Town Clerk Theoline Ludwig will drive to their home and help. Anybody who's got an issue calls my home number, and if they really got an issue they come to my house," she said. "Absentee voting is done in my house. Larger counties facing an avalanche of ballots do not have the luxury of such one-on-one attention. COVID-19, which is driving the rise of absentee voting, has also prompted officials to redirect money needed to educate first-time absentee voters about how to get their vote counted. A person drops applications for mail-in-ballots into a mail box in Omaha, Neb. U.S. Postal Service warnings that it cant guarantee ballots sent by mail will arrive on time have put a spotlight on the narrow timeframes most states allow to request and return those ballots. After the Utah Legislature slashed $250,000 from the elections office budget this summer, money for educational postcards and voter information pamphlets dried up, said Justin Lee, that state's director of elections. This summer, the Arizona Legislature zeroed out money the secretary of state had budgeted to fight disinformation. "I would love to have billboards, but thats expensive," said Deidre B. Holden, supervisor of elections and voter registration in Paulding County, Georgia. "Do I spend money on that, or do I hire someone to get through thousands of absentee ballots?" Educating voters on how to cast an absentee ballot is a moving target. Local elections officials are scrambling to keep up with absentee ballot lawsuits over everything from the number of dropboxes to ballot design. In a single day, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court extended mail deadlines, authorized dropboxes and ruled election boards did not have to tell voters their ballots had fixable problems. "The biggest issues that are up in the air right now will be what additional changes federal courts might make," said Forrest Lehman, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, elections director. "Say one of the courts changes the ballot deadline again, it's going to be almost impossible to get correct information out." In North Carolina, rules shift virtually every year. A law will get halfway implemented, then get enjoined by the courts, then a more refined law will get struck down, and it leaves us in limbo, said Democracy North Carolina senior researcher Sunny Frothingham. Voters call us and they dont know if ID is required, they dont know about early voting. In states where the election is already underway, absentee rejections have begun piling up along with early votes. That only underscores the value of early absentee voting, said Michael McDonald, a University of Florida political science professor whose United States Election Project tracks rejected ballots. "You see this in the data, where people who had their ballots sent earlier are more likely to have them accepted than the ones coming in later," McDonald said. "It gives the election official and you the time to fix whatever problem there might be. Some counties and states offer ballot tracking software that allows a voter to watch their vote get delivered to the election office. If the election date is close, McDonald suggests taking the ballot to a dropbox or to the local election office after first calling that office to make sure it's acceptable. For those who haven't submitted ballots, there may still be time to recheck and update registration records to reflect a name change from marriage, or an address change, said Anne Houghtaling, deputy director of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund's Thurgood Marshall Institute. Filling out a ballot early also provides time to make sure that signatures haven't been overlooked and that every line has been filled out. There are a lot of T's to cross and I's to dot," Houghtaling said. "But if you believe in the fundamental promise of our democracy, of one man, one vote, then we need to do everything to ensure that people entitled to that vote, get it." Contributing: Sarah Gelbard of CJI; PBS series Frontline To complete this analysis, we calculated the projected ballot rejection rate using data from the 2016 Election Administration and Voter Survey, as well as data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Our analysis was conducted in conjunction with Merlin Heidemanns, a political scientist at Columbia University. Review our full methodology here. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rejected mail in ballots projected to be major factor in 2020 election ANKARA (Reuters) - The foreign ministers of Turkey and Greece met on Thursday for the first time since their dispute over energy exploration and territorial rights in the eastern Mediterranean, and agreed to hold bilateral talks on the issue, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said. Turkey and Greece, both NATO members, sharply disagree over rights to potential energy resources and the extent of continental shelves in the eastern Mediterranean. Tensions simmered in August when Turkish and Greek warships collided, but later eased when Ankara and Athens agreed to resume talks. On Thursday, Cavusoglu said he met with Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias on the sidelines of the Global Security Forum in the Slovak capital Bratislava for about 25 minutes. "During this meeting, we agreed that exploratory talks and confidence building measures would be carried out in the coming period. Since Turkey will host this, we will suggest some dates for these meetings," Cavusoglu said. "I told him (Dendias) that it is beneficial to maintain dialogue even in the toughest conditions and we also agreed to do that," he added. Greece has accused Turkey of illegally carrying out seismic exploration in parts of the Mediterranean claimed by Athens and Cyprus, but Turkey says its operations are within international law and that it will not allow Athens and Nicosia's "maximalist" claims to trap it in a narrow strip of waters dotted with Greek islands. The ministers' meeting came on the same day as Northern Cyprus reopened part of the beachfront of a resort abandoned since Turkey invaded the island in 1974, in a step supported by Ankara but condemned by Greek Cypriots and which has caused international concern. Cavusoglu said he and Dendias also discussed the opening of the resort during their meeting and conveyed their views to each other. Last month, Ankara withdrew its exploration vessel from contested waters to "allow for diplomacy" ahead of a European Union summit last week. After the summit the bloc said it would punish Turkey if it continued its operations in the region, in a move Ankara said further strained Turkey-EU ties. Story continues On Thursday, Cavusoglu held a separate meeting with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in Bratislava, after which he said he had conveyed to Maas Turkey's "disappointment" with the EU summit's threat of sanctions if what it called Turkey's "provocations" in the eastern Mediterranean persisted. "Germany, Mrs Merkel and Heiko Maas did all they could, but the outcome is clear," Cavusoglu said, referring to efforts by Berlin to mediate between Ankara and Athens. (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Additional reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Ece Toksabay and Alexandra Hudson) BENTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE Theft by deception On Monday around 4:42 p.m. a Monroe woman reported theft by deception after she sent $2,000 in gift cards through her phone to an unknown person who promised her money through a grant. Theft On Oct. 1 around 1:50 p.m. at 3860 NE Highway 20 in Corvallis, personnel at Blueberry Meadows reported a cash box had been broken into and $29 was missing. CORVALLIS POLICE Burglary On Friday around 12:21 p.m., police responded to a suspicious person report about a man with a rifle wearing a dinosaur onesie in the area of Third Street and Goodnight Avenue. 21-year-old Josiah Bybee was arrested for two charges of burglary, theft, being a felon in possession of a firearm, criminal mischief and unlawful entry into a vehicle. LINN COUNTY SHERIFF Grass fire About 2:52 p.m. Tuesday, a caller in the 35000 block of Riverside Drive reported a grass fire in a field behind his residence. Deputy assisted until fire department arrived. No damage. Missing saw About 6:04 p.m. Tuesday, a caller in the 33000 block of Brewster Road, Lebanon, reported a Stihl chainsaw valued at $380 was stolen. SWEET HOME POLICE Cargo rack About 7:11 a.m. Monday, a caller in the 900 block of Oak Terrace reported someone took a cargo rack from vehicle. Items stolen About 8:15 a.m. Monday, a caller in the 2000 block of Larch reported someone took $4,000 worth of items, including a firearm, out of a friends unsecured vehicle. Firearm as entered into LEDS. Broken window About 2:48 p.m. Monday, a caller in the 1300 block of Long St. reported a female broke a window valued at $500. Female was last seen walking south on 12th. Under state law, absentee ballots are due in local clerks' offices by 8 p.m. on election night. But Democrats and allied groups sued to extend the deadline after the April presidential primary saw long lines, fewer polling places, a shortage of poll workers and thousands of ballots mailed days after the election. Wisconsin, like much of the rest of the country, is already seeing massive absentee voting for November and the state expects as many as 2 million people to vote absentee. Sen. Kamala Harris, vying to be the first Black and Asian American vice president, slammed President Donald Trump's record on race at the vice presidential debate Wednesday. Vice President Mike Pence denied that systemic racism is an issue in the USA. The two sparred over race relations as the nation reels from several high-profile police killings of Black people this year that led to widespread civil rights protests amid a historic pandemic and economic crisis, both of which have disproportionately hurt people of color. Harris criticized Trump for not condemning white supremacy at various points during his presidency. Trump set off a firestorm during last week's presidential debate when he urged the Proud Boys, a violent far-right group, to "stand back and stand by." The White House said the president has "always denounced" any form of white supremacy, despite evidence to the contrary. Harris accused Trump of a "pattern" of racism, citing his ban on several Muslim-majority nations, labeling Mexicans rapists and criminals during his campaign launch and his statement that there were "fine people on both sides" at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, when a counterdemonstrator was killed by a white supremacist. "This is who we have as the president of the United States," Harris said. "America, you deserve better." Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris joins her husband, Douglas Emhoff, after the vice presidential debate. Pence said he didn't believe systemic racism exists in the USA when moderator Susan Page, USA TODAY's Washington Bureau chief, asked about Breonna Taylor, 26, a Black woman who was fatally shot by police in Louisville, Kentucky, as plainclothes officers served a no-knock warrant at her apartment in March. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced last month that the three officers will not be charged for killing her. Officer Brett Hankison, the only officer indicted by a grand jury, pleaded not guilty to charges of wanton endangerment for shooting into another home. Story continues Pence and Harris disagreed on whether justice was served in Taylor's case. Her family deserves justice," Harris said. "Her life was taken unjustifiably and tragically and violently. Harris said it reminded her of the death of George Floyd, 46, a Black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Both deaths fueled Black Lives Matter protests across the country. Pence said, Our heart breaks for any American innocent life. ... But I trust our justice system a grand jury that reviews the evidence. Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris disagree on systemic racism during the vice presidential debate. Pence said there is no excuse for what happened to Floyd, but he condemned the rioting and looting that happened in response. The vice president called it a great insult to law enforcement that Biden said there is implicit bias against people of color in law enforcement agencies. We dont have to choose between supporting law enforcement, improving public safety and supporting our African American neighbors and all of our minorities, Pence said. Under President Trumps leadership, we will always stand behind law enforcement. Black Americans are three times more likely than white Americans to be killed by police, according to a study published this year by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Harris said the Biden administration will introduce criminal justice changes, including a chokehold ban, national registries for police officers who break the law and the elimination of private prisons and cash bail. Former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison was indicted on criminal charges after shooting into the apartments next door to Breonna Taylor. Biden said he would not support defunding police as many protesters demand. Harris noted Trumps failure to appoint people of color to positions of power. She didn't answer Pence's question about whether a Biden administration would add judges to the Supreme Court but pointed out that not one person among the 50 Trump has appointed to the Court of Appeals is Black. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pence, Haris spar over systemic racism, Breonna Taylor in VP debate Mali announced Thursday the release of an elderly French aid worker, two Italian captives and a top Malian politician, all believed to have been held by jihadists. French President Emmanuel Macron immediately voiced "immense relief" at the release of the worker, the last French hostage in the world, and expressed France's continued support for Mali in its fight against an Islamist insurgency. Mali's presidency said in a tweet on Thursday that Frenchwoman Sophie Petronin, 75, and Soumaila Cisse, 70, were on their way to the capital Bamako. The announcement has come after several days of uncertainty about the release of the pair, who were believed to have been held by al-Qaeda-affiliated militants. Speculation about their release began to circulate in the conflict-ridden Sahel state over the weekend, when the government released over 100 suspected and convicted jihadists. In an unexpected development, the prime minister's office also announced that two Italian nationals named Nicola Chiacchio and Pier Luigi Maccalli had been freed. Petronin was abducted by gunmen on December 24, 2016, in the northern city of Gao, where she worked for a children's charity. She was the last French national held hostage in the world. Cisse, a 70-year-old former opposition leader and three-time presidential candidate, was kidnapped on March 25 while campaigning in his home region of Niafounke, in central Mali, ahead of parliamentary elections. Mali's government on Thursday gave no indication of the circumstances of the hostages' release, nor did it provide information on the health of either Petronin or Cisse. Days of suspense An airport official in Tessalit, in northern Mali, confirmed to AFP that the pair were in a plane en route to Bamako. He added that the pair said that they were happy, before boarding the aircraft. One of the intermediaries who was involved in the release negotiations, who also requested anonymity, said the process "was not easy". Mali released over 100 jihadist prisoners to the volatile centre of the country over the weekend, and in the northern town of Tessalit, a security official told AFP this week. The rare mass release sparked immediate speculation on social media that the government was conducting a prisoner swap for Petronin and Cisse. Both the Malian and French governments declined to comment on the affair over the following days, despite intense media interest. French officials, in particular, cited the need to maintain discretion. The prisoner release came with an interim government due to govern Mali for 18 months before staging elections after a military junta overthrew president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August. The kidnapping of former opposition leader Cisse was one of the factors that fuelled popular protests which led to the ouster of Keita over his perceived inability to tackle jihadists and Islamist insurgency. Thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed in the conflict, which has also often taken on an ethnic dimension. The intermediary involved in the negotiations told AFP on Thursday that releasing the jihadists was necessary. "Yes, terrorists were released," he said. "We had to obtain the release," he added. Several other hostages remain detained by militant groups in the Sahel. Search Keywords: Short link: If Joe Biden becomes the next president of the United States, the energy industry will feel the pinch, with onshore gas and offshore oil being the most vulnerable industry segments, Moodys has said, as quoted by Natural Gas Intelligence. The Democrat candidate has already made public a clean energy plan that will cost $1.7 trillion and that will focus on research and development of new clean energy solutions to the climate crisis. This in itself would be negative for the oil and gas industry, if successful, as it will dampen demand for their products. But Biden has also promised his voters to stop offering new offshore oil and gas leases and to ban new drilling on federal land, even though he stopped short of promising a ban on fracking. But federal leases for oil and gas production accounted for more than a fifth of the United States annual oil and gas production last year. Oil from offshore fields in the Gulf of Mexico accounted for 64 percent of oil output from federal lands, Moodys senior oil and gas analyst John Thieroff said in a note this week. The mix of onshore producers is much broader than offshore, with major oil companies operating alongside such independent exploration and production [E&P] companies as EOG Resources Inc., Concho Resources Inc. and Devon Energy Corp., Thieroff said, adding Gas production from onshore federal leases is heavily concentrated in Wyoming, New Mexico and Colorado, which together accounted for almost 90% of the 2019 total. Bidens climate plan envisages incentives for consumers to switch from gasoline and diesel cars to EVs and get more of their electricity from solar and wind installations. According to analysts, the transition will not change electricity prices in any palpable way because it will happen slowly and gradually. Trump is fossil fuels first, [and] the objective is to resuscitate oil, Stewart Glickman, energy analyst at CFRA Research, told CNBC. Biden is discouraging fossil fuels, in a muted way. Hell promote something different, and that something different will take time to build. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: 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. (CNN) Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said Tuesday that the second presidential debate should not be held if President Donald Trump is still infected with coronavirus, but that he would base his participation in the debate upon recommendations from medical experts. "Well, I think if he still has Covid, we shouldn't have a debate," Biden told reporters in Maryland. "I think we're gonna have to follow very strict guidelines. Too many people have been infected and it's a very serious problem." He continued: "And so I'll be guided by the guidelines of the Cleveland Clinic, and what the docs say is the right thing to do -- if and when he shows up for debate." The former vice president also said he looks forward to the debate, which is set to take place next Thursday in Miami. "I'm looking forward to being able to debate him. But I just hope all the protocols are followed, what's necessary at the time," he said. Trump, who left Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday after receiving treatment for the virus, is among more than a dozen people close to the administration or his reelection campaign who have contracted the virus in recent days. The President tested positive last Thursday, but it's unclear when he may have contracted the virus as officials -- including his physician Dr. Sean Conley -- have repeatedly refused to disclose when he last tested negative. On Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris, Biden's running mate, are set to face off in their only debate of the 2020 cycle. Pence, who has been near a number of people who have contracted the virus, has tested negative for the virus several times in the last few days. Trump has said that he plans to show up for the forthcoming debates despite his positive coronavirus diagnosis, leading debate organizers to consider a host of contingencies for how to host the two remaining presidential debates safely. One possible option is to hold the debates virtually. "The Commission, including me, is certainly open to virtual operations of the debates, without question," said a commission member, who asked for anonymity to speak openly about forthcoming deliberations. Trump's bout with the virus has brought fresh uncertainty into the race with less than a month until Election Day, raising questions about the health of the President as voters cast ballots in some states. Conley insisted on Monday that Trump was well enough to return home, though he noted that the President "may not be entirely out of the woods yet." Biden, meanwhile, blamed Trump for contracting the virus, saying on Monday that his refusal to consistently wear masks and social distance were to blame. "Anybody who contracts the virus by essentially saying, 'masks don't matter, social distancing doesn't matter,' I think is responsible for what happens to them," Biden said of Trump during an NBC town hall in Miami. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Biden says there shouldn't be a second debate if Trump still has Covid-19." Black space pioneer Ed Dwight (right) could feature in season two of 'The Right Stuff'. (Credit: Disney+/Matthew Staver/Washington Post/Getty) Pioneering Black astronaut Ed Dwight and trailblazing pilot Betty Skelton are likely to feature in the second season of the Disney+ adaptation of The Right Stuff if it gets the green light. Producer Jennifer Davisson told Yahoo Movies UK that these people are among the new crop of famous figures whose story will be told if the show, tracing the history of the US space program, is able to return. Read more: Everything coming to Disney+ in October 2020 Davisson said: There are a lot of wonderful characters who we couldnt fit into this first season. Its okay because time was on our side in terms of the historical timeline, so they can come in now. Ed Dwight and Betty Skelton. (Credit: AP/Ed Clark/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images) Ed Dwight, who was supposed to be the first Black astronaut and trained with them, is someone who, if were lucky enough to do season two, will be a big part of it. Theres a woman by the name of Betty Skelton, who was this really incredible, dynamic female racing and aerobatic pilot. I think well get to tell her story. Dwight and Skelton both took part in NASA training, but were not chosen to take part in any of the manned missions into space. Read more: 10 ways movies get space science wrong The series follows the Mercury Seven astronauts including iconic figures John Glenn and Alan Shepard and is based on the 1979 book by Tom Wolfe, which also inspired an Oscar-winning 1983 movie. Davisson said the decision to tell the story through a TV series rather than a film enables for more detail and more time spent with various characters. Patrick J. Adams as John Glenn in 'The Right Stuff'. (Credit: Disney+/National Geographic/Gene Page) She added: We are afforded the luxury, given what TV has become, to really sit in with the characters. We only get through a real small portion of Project Mercury and so we have so much more story to tell just about Mercury. Youre really able to get to know these characters, these families and what the real struggles were on a personal level to get to where they got. Watch: Trailer for season one of The Right Stuff Read the full interview with Jennifer Davisson, in which she discusses co-producer Leonardo DiCaprios involvement with the show, casting iconic American heroes and the benefits of making a TV series instead of a movie... Story continues Yahoo Movies UK: Why is now the right time to go back to The Right Stuff? Jennifer Davisson: We get asked that question a lot and, in some ways, this is the easiest one to answer. It was such a specific moment in American history and really world history of what was happening and what was going on. There was so much fear and so much certainty and this was this moment where we sort of defined what were capable of. The idea of being able to go into space was just that of comic books and science fiction, but these guys believed they could and should do that. And they did. I think that, in a moment when we have so much of our own uncertainty and feeling desperate and all over the place, to look back and remember that when we can come together as a global community, we can achieve great things together. Its a good moment to remind ourselves of that. We felt that way a year and a half or two years ago when we started, but its amazing how resonant it is now. Over the summer, we talked about it endlessly as we were finishing post. We need to come together as a community to show what were capable of. Even last year, with the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and the Space Force, it felt like theres a surge of interest in space again. Totally, and its funny because I have spent most of the pandemic here at my house doing post on the show and watching rocket launch after rocket launch. But yet, when we sat and watched the SpaceX launch [in May 2020], it was like goosebumps. Its still, even now after all this time, such a sense of adventure and such a sense of heroism. Patrick J. Adams and Colin O'Donoghue as John Glenn and Gordo Cooper in 'The Right Stuff'. (Credit: Disney+/National Geographic) Youre nervous for these people inside this little capsule. You dont know them. You know maybe a little bit about them. But you know that what theyre doing, theyre doing for everybody. Theyre doing something that theres such a small percentage of people who have ever had the ability to do it. It is very much, I feel, our modern day superheroes. Read more: James Gray on space travel in Ad Astra I think theres so much renewed interest in space. Theres a lot of reasons. I think technology is begging us to go further and our own human curiosity is doing the same. But I also think were looking around and saying we can do more and we can do better. Exploration becomes something that I think we do in desperate moments and I think thats a little bit of whats going on. The Right Stuff, in all of its forms, is about the men more than its about the big, splashy space theatrics. How important was it for you to preserve that in this new show? That was really our entry point. Everybody knows, I think, that we got there at the end, even if they dont remember who it was. But for us as a company, we really start with classic anti-heroes. Who are great men and what are the great men that they do? Instead of just having one guy, we have seven guys who for very different reasons believed they were the ones who could go up to space. And why? What is the make up of a person who believes they can do that and come back safely? I still dont know. Were still trying to figure it out. But that really is the spine of the story how a person can physically train their bodies to be able to do these things but. way more importantly, to mentally prepare. What in you has got that much arrogance, that much confidence and maybe a little bit of stupidity? I would never believe that of myself, but they did and they were right, so maybe that makes me the one whos a little bit foolish. That is our entry point to everything and thats really what our story is about. Space is where we go, but the men are how we got there. You said youve all been beavering away on this over lockdown. Its impossible not to notice Leonardo DiCaprios name in the credits. How involved has he been on the project from start to finish? Leonardo DiCaprio arrives for the red carpet of the 92nd Academy Awards, Feb. 9, 2020. (Photo by Li Ying/Xinhua via Getty Images) Leonardo and I have been partners [as part of company Appian Way productions] for a long time 13 or 14 years. Hes very involved, as much as Im very involved. Were in constant communication about what is going on. He obviously is a huge fan of space and loves more than anything a really good, complex character story. Hes very present, very aware and very excited about the show. We were talking about the men just then and, as you alluded to, these are very complex people. How difficult was it to find the right actors to play these people especially those like John Glenn and Alan Shepard, who are American icons? Well its funny because we thought John Glenn would be the toughest to cast. Just because hes the most iconic, he looks very specific and everybody knows what he looks like. We thought we were going to have this burden with him. Then, really early on in the process, Patrick Adams walked in. To be honest, and he knows this, I didnt watch Suits and I only tangentially knew who he was through other media. But he walked in and sat down and just had that really specific thing that Glenn had. Glenn was such a good person and he projected that and made you feel comfortable and confident. But yet, Patrick had that other side too, which was maybe a hint of darkness and a hint of Im better than you. It was just a ribbon through his performance that we saw and said: Thats John Glenn. So he was the first person cast and we were able to build around him. For Alan Shepard, who we sought of naively thought there would be a lot of people to latch on to for it, ultimately we really struggled. You need someone thats got all that charisma and all that bravado and all that kind of danger. But at the same time, he has to be able to flip to the dark side on a dime, which is really difficult. Shannon Lucio and Jake McDorman in 'The Right Stuff'. (Credit: Disney+/National Geographic) Jake McDorman was somebody who was actually coming in to read for Gordo [Gordon Cooper]. He came in and gave an okay reading for Gordo but, through that reading, we realised that he was Alan Shepard. He was one of the last to be cast. So we got it totally wrong. It was the inverse. But they both give such amazing performances. Then Colin O'Donoghue, who plays Gordo, was the absolute last, last person to be cast. That was the hardest part to cast by a mile. We had this problem with an actor who we had cast and then lost at the last minute. I had met Colin years and years earlier and he sent in a self-tape and I was like this is good, but we were pretty far down the line with another actor. The minute that fell apart five days before we started shooting the pilot I walked into this big room with the showrunner and the director and I said lets pull up Colin ODonoghues tape and the minute we saw it, it was like a gasp. He showed up on an overnight flight from Ireland, dizzied and unsure and thrown in to the deep end of the pool. I think it actually turned out to be so beautiful and perfect. They are three really incredible legs to the stool. Obviously, the last time The Right Stuff was adapted, it was a film. Why was TV the right medium for it this time? It seems so obvious. The book has so much. Its such a long story and there are so many rich, incredible characters to cover. I love the movie, which is three hours long, but even when you go back and watch it you go I wish I knew a little more about what happened here. Back then, television wasnt what it is now. We are afforded the luxury, given what TV has become, to really sit in with the characters. We only get through a real small portion of Project Mercury and so we have so much more story to tell just about Mercury. Youre really able to get to know these characters, these families and what the real struggles were on a personal level to get to where they got. In a film, you could only almost brush the surface. Patrick Fischler and Eric Ladin in 'The Right Stuff'. (Credit: Disney+/National Geographic) That leads me on to my final question. Theres so much story left. How do you feel about more seasons? Is it happening? I hope so! If everybody watches it! We have definitely started talking about season two and we have a lot of really amazing ideas. We have a really fantastic creative team in place to get it started. There are a lot of wonderful characters who we couldnt fit into this first season. Its okay because time was on our side in terms of the historical timeline, so they can come in now. Ed Dwight, who was supposed to be the first Black astronaut and trained with them, is someone who, if were lucky enough to do season two, will be a big part of it. Theres a woman by the name of Betty Skelton, who was this really incredible, dynamic female racing and aerobatic pilot. I think well get to tell her story. Then, of course, these guys. Weve still got to get six of them up there. They all had very different flights. Their flights had their own drama within them. The next flight we have to deal with is Gus Grissom and his flight was actually a giant failure for NASA, so we cant wait to do that. Were ending in such success and now we want to go back and show the other side, of how things can fall apart. Weve got a lot of story to tell, moving forward. The first two episode of The Right Stuff will premiere on Disney+ from 9 October. According to some sources, some of the points in the joint statement issued at the end of the virtual meeting between the Prime Ministers of the two countries, Narendra Modi and Mahinda Rajapaksa, were made in defiance of Sri Lanka's objections. It's regrettable. Sri Lanka Guadian View: Editorial He has correctly understood that. Isnt it wonderful? But many people do not understand this basic fact. Some people do understand the truth but will not accept it in public. Isnt it hypocrisy? Former Member of Parliament Mr M.M. Zuhair (Mohamed Mohamed Zuhair) has stated at a recent public meeting in the Eastern Province that the merging Northern and Eastern Provinces is a serious obstacle to national unity in Sri Lanka. We feel that the scheme for merging these two provinces is the root cause of the further complication of the manufactured ethnic dispute in Sri Lanka. So it should be read and corrected immediately. Of course, the point to consider here is that India's policy towards its neighbours needs to be re-engineered to suit the present times. The consequences of not doing so are well illustrated by the current attitudes and some policy decisions of countries in the region such as Bangladesh and Nepal towards India. The merger of Northern and Eastern Provinces is an old proposal imposed by the Government of India on Sri Lanka in late 80s. Only the people who created it know the motives behind India's intention to do so, but the main said believe was that the amalgamation of the two provinces would fulfil the aspirations of the Tamil people. The legal form of the program came before the Sri Lankans under the name of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution. The sad fact is that in the face of Sri Lanka, this non-solution as the solution was forcibly imposed at the sole discretion of India. As a result, Sri Lanka, at the foot of the vast Indian peninsula spreads across South Asia, had to face a number of tragedies. Some events have proved that the idea put forward in an old political school of thoughts that history repeats itself first as a tragedy and then as a farce is true. Unfortunately, the present Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not changed the old Indian ideology even in his so-called neighbourhood first foreign policy. Does this prove that India does not sincerely want to help for lasting peace in Sri Lanka? According to some sources, some of the points in the joint statement issued at the end of the virtual meeting between the Prime Ministers of the two countries, Narendra Modi and Mahinda Rajapaksa, were made in defiance of Sri Lanka's objections. It's regrettable. That is to say, this incident also spreads ugly domination that forced the then President of Sri Lanka to sign the Indo-Lanka Accord. India continues to advocate that the Northern and Eastern Provinces should be merged in a united country to fulfil the aspirations of the Sri Lankan Tamil people living not only in North and East but almost in all provinces in the country. However, a senior politician representing the Muslim community, a so-called minority in the country, said the resolution to merge North and East Provinces was the biggest obstacle to unity in the country. He has been active in Sri Lankan politics since before the signing of the 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord. This is why his ideas are important. If anyone admits that history cannot be forgotten and solutions cannot be found without addressing the scars of the history, then the wrongdoings committed by all parties, including the Indian Peace Keeping Force, must be held accountable. Does anyone have a sincere intention to consider the policy of 'Neighborhood First' in order to find a solution to the injustice done to the Sinhalese and Muslims who were expelled from the Northern Province within 24 hours? Is anyone raising their voices about the ability of the Tamil people in many areas, including the Colombo District, to be able to live in great harmony? On contrarily, why cant anyone raise their big voices to identify the deprivation of the enjoyment and freedom of the inhabited Sinhalese and Muslim people in the Northern Province? Anyone who has a sincere desire to solve this forcibly created ethnic dispute should look at the truth and not the false propaganda and myths made by different parties to achieve different personal goals. The Indian government has maintained a longstanding sense of the aspirations of the Tamil people, perhaps it is because of the political reality in Tamil Nadu. But history has shown that using those hypocritical politics as a tool to resolve the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka is not successful. Also, if there is a genuine desire for lasting peace, it must stand not only for the aspirations of the Tamil people, but also for the aspirations of all peoples, including Sinhalese, Muslims, Malays, and others. But aside from that, talking about irrational and divisive issues is nothing but a mockery of the real needs of the people. That is why we are endorsing the ideas of ex-parliamentarian that the merger of the Northern and Eastern Provinces is the greatest obstacle to the unity of Sri Lanka. So, if anyone cares about the internal affairs of Sri Lanka, those parties must first be honest enough to understand the truth on the ground. It is the first step in overcoming all delusions. Then the light will be there to see the road. Biden meets his aides to discuss situation around Ukraine, talks with Russia New Zealand PM cancels her wedding due to new Omicron restrictions 814 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia UK begins developing new sanctions on Russia Thousands protest against COVID-19 passports in Sweden Chinese automaker Geely in talks to buy Meizu Kaunas officially becomes European Capital of Culture 2022 Turkish journalist who insulted Erdogan on live TV arrested Ipsos poll predicts Macron's landslide victory in French presidential election Germany elects new CDU leader Media: US on Monday will begin evacuation of families of diplomats in Ukraine UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws 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 AARP has demanded that the Democratic Attorneys General Association cease and desist unauthorized use of the AARP logo in an ad supporting Democratic attorney general candidate Raph Graybill. In addition, AARP has demanded that the Montana Republican State Central Committee cease and desist unauthorized use of the AARP logo on a mailer supporting the Daines for U.S. Senate campaign. In each case, those campaigns had produced ads and/or mailers that implied that their candidate had been Endorsed by AARP. AARP is a powerful voice for the issues and concerns of the 50-plus. That strength is not based on money or hired lobbyists. AARP does not contribute money to candidates for public office, nor does AARP support or oppose any candidates. Instead, AARP is proudly and strictly nonpartisan. Our mission is to serve all those in our communities who are 50 years and older. That is why we fiercely protect Social Security and Medicare. We fight fraud and elder abuse. We oppose unfair utility rate hikes. We fight to lower prescription drug prices. And we are the voice of those who are often forgotten. We give voice to their concerns because we listen carefully and advocate on their behalf. Why is AARP so effective in fulfilling our critical mission? One of the most important reasons is that we jealously protect our non-partisanship and our independence. That is why we dont allow our trademarked logo to be used by political campaigns. We dont allow any candidates to say they have been endorsed by AARP. And we make sure that any reference to AARP by candidates and campaigns clearly reflects the actual record. Over the years, thousands of public officials have supported key issues of concern to our members and the 50-plus. As long as public officials exactly quote actual statements made by AARP that are part of public record, those statements are acceptable. We are grateful for their support on issues that are crucial to the health and well-being of our members and all of those who are over age 50. But if candidates and campaigns go too far, we will vigorously protect our nonpartisanship and our independent voice. That is why we have issued these Cease and Desist Demand Letters. And we will do so again if the circumstances require. Tim Summers is AARP Montana's state director. Love 3 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves Downing Street, in London, Britain October 7, 2020. REUTERS/John Sibley REUTERS/John Sibley Boris Johnson's Brexit plan risks pushing the UK down a 'very slippery slope' towards 'dictatorship' or 'tyranny' according to the former president of the UK's Supreme Court. Lord Neuberger criticised the government's Internal Market Bill, which ministers admit could breach international law. 'Once you deprive people of the right to go to court to challenge the government, you are in a dictatorship, you are in a tyranny,' Neuberger said on Wednesday. Other opponents of the bill include Michael Howard, the former home secretary, and Dominic Grieve, the former attorney general. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Boris Johnson's Brexit strategy risks pushing the UK towards "dictatorship" or "tyranny," the former head of the country's Supreme Court has warned. Lord Neuberger, who was president of the UK's highest court between 2012 and 2017, said the government's highly controversial new Brexit legislation should be "defeated" in parliament because it would break international law and in some cases remove the right of courts to challenge legislation. The Internal Market Bill, which passed its third reading in the House of Commons in September, sets out details about the movement of goods between the devolved nations after Brexit. It has been heavily criticized by lawyers and judges because ministers have admitted that it would breach international law by allowing the government to rewrite parts of the legally binding Withdrawal Agreement that Boris Johnson struck with the EU in December. Speaking at an online meeting of lawyers on Wednesday, Lord Neuberger said, in comments reported by the Independent: "It seems to me that this bill is quite extraordinary and is very worrying." He said the bill contained provisions to "freely breach its obligations under international treaties" as well as making "regulations which it would appear the courts are not entitled to review." Story continues "This country has a remarkable unbroken history of 350 years of observing the rule of law, and has an enviable reputation for that: it gives us authority abroad when we criticise other countries for breaking international law," Neuberger said. "At home, one of the most important aspects of any democratic society is the right of individuals to go to court, to challenge the government when the government has done something wrong, when the government has breached the rights of individuals. "Once you deprive individuals, people, of the right to go to court, to challenge the government, you are in a dictatorship, you are in a tyranny." He added: "The rights of citizens to go to courts and protect their rights and ensure that the government complies with its legal obligations is fundamental to any system. "The fact that this particular right is proposed to be taken away by legislation is a very fundamental problem. It is the beginning, it can be feared, of going down a very slippery slope." The online meeting, organised by the International Bar Association, featured other opponents of the bill, including Dominic Grieve, a senior lawyer, former Attorney General, and former Conservative MP, the Guardian reported. Grieve also warned that the Bill contained a provision which would prevent courts from challenging the government's actions, describing it as "an ouster clause which goes to the heart of parliamentary democracy." Read the original article on Business Insider 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. LONDON, Oct 8 (Reuters) - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is going ahead with a plan to provide a medical emergency loan to Turkey and has not received any guidance from shareholders to alter its approach to the country, a senior official at the lender said on Thursday. We are currently looking at helping Turkey with an emergency loan on the medical side, it will be one of our first projects on the sovereign side," said the EBRDs outgoing acting President Juergen Rigterink, adding this "is not under review". Earlier in October, the European Union warned Turkey that it could impose sanctions on Ankara if "provocations and pressures" continue in the East Mediterranean. (Reporting by Karin Strohecker; Editing by Tom Arnold) Then Senator Joe Biden and Republican vice presidential nominee Alaska Governor Sarah Palin during the 2008 vice presidential debates. (REUTERS) Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris will face each other in Salt Lake City for the 2020 US election vice presidential debate. In the wake of Donald Trump interrupting and derailing his way through the hectic first presidential debate, it's likely Americans will be looking to the vice presidential candidates to deliver not just some normalcy, but also their vision for the country. With both Mr Trump and his Democratic challenger former vice president Joe Biden both well into their 70s - and Mr Trump fresh off a days-long hospital stay due to a coronavirus infection - it is practical, if not a bit morbid, to assume that one of the participants in the vice presidential debate will ascend to the Oval Office before 2024. Wednesday night's debate will be historic not only because of the events preceding it, but because of its participants; Ms Harris, the first woman of color vice presidential candidate, and Mr Pence, who holds the office during a time of social unrest and pandemic-born weariness in the American populace. While vice presidential debates aren't usually the history-defining events that general election debates tend to be - who remembers a single line from Tim Kaine's faceoff with Mr Pence in 2016? - there have been a few well-remembered moments. Vice presidential debates as we know them began in 1976, when Democrat Walter Mondale took on Gerald Ford's "hatchetman" Republican Bob Dole. While Gen X-ers and Millennials may have a perspective of Bob Dole as the sleepy, utterly un-cool challenger to incumbent President Bill Clinton in 1996, his reputation for the bulk of his political career was as a compassionate but biting and hardline political operative. During the debate, Mr Dole took an anti-war stance and tried to pin 1.6m American war deaths on the Democrats. "I figured it up the other day: If we added up the killed and wounded in Democrat wars in this century, it would be about 1.5 million Americans - enough to fill the city of Detroit," he said. Story continues Those wars would have included both World Wars, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. "I think Senator Dole has richly earned his reputation as a hatchet man tonight," Mr Mondale said, cementing Mr Dole's nickname for the rest of his political career. "Does he really mean that there was a partisan difference over our involvement in the fight against Nazi Germany?" A little more than a decade later, another pair of vice presidential hopefuls made debate history. Then Republican Senator Dan Quayle, running alongside George H W Bush faced Democratic Senator Lloyd Bentsen, running with Michael Dukakis, during the vice presidential debates in 1988. Mr Quayle was only 41 when he became Mr Bush's running mate, and his experience was frequently challenged. During the debate, moderators Tom Brokaw and Judge Woodruff asked Mr Quayle how he would lead the nation if he had to take over the presidency if Mr Bush were to be incapacitated. "Three times that I've had this questionand I will try to answer it again for you, as clearly as I can, because the question you're asking is, 'What kind of qualifications does Dan Quayle have to be president,' 'What kind of qualifications do I have,' and 'What would I do in this kind of a situation?' And what would I do in this situation?" Mr Quayle said. "I have far more experience than many others that sought the office of vice president of this country. I have as much experience in the Congress as Jack Kennedy did when he sought the presidency. I will be prepared to deal with the people in the Bush administration, if that unfortunate event would ever occur." Mr Bentsen, whose team had prepared him for Mr Quayle to compare himself to former President John Kennedy, fired off a line in response that earned him shouts and applause from the crowd. "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy," he said. "That was really uncalled for, Senator," Mr Quayle said, prompting its own crowd reaction. "You are the one that was making the comparison, Senatorand I'm one who knew him well. And frankly I think you are so far apart in the objectives you choose for your country that I did not think the comparison was well-taken," Mr Bentsen said. Eventually Mr Bush and Mr Quayle would go on to defeat Mr Dukakis and Mr Bentsen, but Mr Quayle's reputation never managed to shake that debate moment. It was so well known that Democrat Al Gore referenced it in 1992 when he debated Mr Quayle, saying "I'll make you a deal this evening. If you don't try to compare George Bush to Harry Truman, I won't compare you to Jack Kennedy." Geraldine Ferraro made history in 1984 when she debated George H W Bush by becoming the first woman to participate in the vice presidential debates, and probably the first to call out an instance of man-splaining on a national debate stage. During the debate, rather than disagreeing with Ms Ferraro on a national security matter, he attacked her intellect, saying "Let me help you with the difference, Mrs Ferraro, between Iran and the embassy in Lebanon." She fired back "Let me say first of all that I almost resent, Vice President Bush, your patronising attitude that you have to teach me about foreign policy," she said. Years later, the second woman to participate in the debates, Republican Governor Sarah Palin, squared off with then Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden. Though there were a few memorable moments from the debate - Ms Palin asking Mr Biden "Can I call you Joe?", and her response to Mr Biden invoking Ronald Reagan in an answer, saying "Say it ain't so, Joe, there you go again pointing backwards again" - the legacy of Ms Palin's debate didn't actually happen during the debate. The debate - along with several disastrous interviews she participated in before and after - served to cement the caricature of Ms Palin as a folksy kook who occasionally struggled with facts that would be immortalised by Saturday Night Live actor Tina Fey's impression of her. In 2012, Mr Biden had his own memorable moment that would go on to birth his short-lived 2020 campaign slogan. During his debate with Republican Paul Ryan, Mr Ryan made an eloquent argument that US actions under Barack Obama's first term made the country look weak to our allies and enemies. Midway through his lecture, Mr Biden cut him off. "With all due respect, that's a bunch of malarkey," the vice president said, invoking the old timey word that would come to be associated with him during his presidential campaign. At one point Mr Biden's tour buses were emblazoned with the phrase "No Malarkey" across the side, though the word proved a little too antiquated for most voters and the campaign abandoned the slogan. Read more Who is Susan Page, the moderator of the Vice Presidential debate? Kamala Harris vs Mike Pence: How the vice-presidential candidates measure up 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.